Amazon Has Decreased the Video Game Pre-Order Discount for Prime Members
By Ambia Staley
August 15, 2017Gamers may want to reconsider renewing their Amazon Prime subscription, as it seems that the online retailer has quietly decreased the discounts for pre-ordered games.
Last fall, Amazon Canada introduced a 20% discount for Prime members who pre-order their video games on the site. However, as a few eagle-eyed RFD forum members noticed, Amazon has recently decreased the pre-order discount to just 10%.
It's also worth noting that prior to the changes, the 20% discount not only applied to games before their release date, but also applied to new games for up to 2 weeks after release. Now, according to the updated terms of the pre-order promotion, the discount will only apply to games ordered before their listed release date.
It's uncertain when exactly the discount was decreased, or why, but the change seems to have been implemented with many customers being left in the dark.
Amazon Prime membership currently costs $79.00, plus tax for a one-year subscription. With the previous 20% pre-order discount, gamers only had to purchase about 6 console games (normally priced around $79.99) to make up the cost of the Prime membership, which made the subscription tempting for even casual gamers. Now that the discount has dropped to 10%, it will take a lot more purchases to make up the cost of the subscription.
Customers currently awaiting games that were pre-ordered with the previous 20% discount don't need to worry, as the lower price should be protected under Amazon's Pre-Order Price Guarantee.
Did you take advantage of Amazon's pre-order discount to purchase all your games? Will you continue to subscribe to Amazon Prime with the lower discount? Let us know your plans by voting in the poll above, or sharing your thoughts in the comments!
Showing 40 Most Recent Comments
View allI just noted that now pre-ordering video games are now at 10% off (no longer 20% off).
AmazonBasics extra 20% off is gone, now video games pre-orders 20% to 10%. Boy, looks like we got sucked into something and all the good stuff are gone...
Ju Leon...
nop
Not just for pre orders.
Best Buy USA Gamers Club Unlocked
I don't want a world where the only retailers are Amazon, Wal-Mart and Costco who all plot to rip us off like the telcos do.
(1) Fast shipping is taking longer now
(2) Amazon basic discount is taken away
(3) More items are now considered as Add-on. You can see many items below $10 are add-on now (Used to be $5). As the result , you need an order of minimum $25 even you are prime.
(4) Now it is the game pre-order discount
What is next ???
But we didn't because Amazon knows this is a big deal and was hoping to slip it under our noses, at least until it's too late to cancel our memberships. Mine renews in 7 days, and I will be using that time to think long and hard about whether I want to re-up with what's turning into a pretty shady, spineless corporation.
No way I'm renewing now
Thanks. Was on chat complaining and he said sorry and offered me $25 credit on my account. Like a pus I took it. My free trial ends in 5 days will be canceling.
I have a few locked in at $49,96 from E3 for example:
Arriving Dec 28, 2018
Pre-ordered
Spider-Man - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition
Sold by: Amazon.com.ca, Inc.
CDN$ 49.96
Release date: Friday, December 28, 2018
All the orders get cancelled?
I knew they were going down hill fast when I had a Metroid Samus Returns preorder with them for $27.92 and they secretly changed the price higher of my order so I cancelled it in disgust.
More so than not, prime members buy more than games.
Not happy, that I don't get 20% off but I won't be cancelling my prime. 10% is better than nothing and I buy alot of other things.
Got sucker into signing up last month.
But we didn't because Amazon knows this is a big deal and was hoping to slip it under our noses, at least until it's too late to cancel our memberships. Mine renews in 7 days, and I will be using that time to think long and hard about whether I want to re-up with what's turning into a pretty shady, spineless corporation.
We really should file a consumer complaint. Because this is a bait and switch.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint
Good thing I have the student prime.
edit:
They also removed the discount on Amazon Basic without any announcement either.
They now offer 1-day free shipping to my home, but that's not worth paying for Prime.
Prime Video isn't that great either, more selection on Netflix/CraveTV.
Also since this is a change to a subscription based service, shouldn't they let us know beforehand instead of us finding out on RFD? lol
They said, "Yes from today onwards for pre-order video games it will be 10% discount , however if at all the order was placed before todays date then you shall receive the 20% discount itself"
I got a $5 promo on my next purchase for complaining that there was no newsletter or notification about an upcoming change to the service, and they said that my feedback would be sent to the promotions and marketing team.
I'd advise chatting to a representative as well to get your voices heard and hopefully some form of compensation.
Tried to preorder NBA 2K18. Last week it was showing $63.99, not $71.99