When the knockdown began, I stopped driving in to town for miscellaneous items. Rather than risk contracting the virus, I can take advantage of the Amazon Prime shipping. The latest was a $5 purchase tor a repair part for my chainsaw. Free shipping and I had the pert in 24 hours. Running into my dealer would have used $5 for fuel, taken 2 hours of my time, and caused me unnecessary exposure.
One big stumbling block in online or mail order purchases has been the added cost of shipping. I have had a 2-1/2" sine bar on my want list for several years. There are only a few vendors who sell them and the shipping charges almost double the cost so I'm still waiting for a free shipping offer. Whrn I need to replace a broken drill or tap, I don't order just that item but wait until I can build a larger order. As a result, I often have to purchase a "make do" drill or tap, usually at a higher cost, to satisfy an immediate need. Amazon has removed that barrier, at least for some items.
Two thoughts regarding the 2 day shipping guarantee. First, shipping time is from when the common carrier actually takes posession of the shipment to when an attempt is made to turn possession to the customer. Amazon cannot control delays caused by the common carrier and/or unforeseen circumstances. Second, on my case, on a number of occasions, the vendor has delayed actual shipment by as much as a week, The only recourse that Amazon would have would be to contact the vendor demanding better service in the future, of the customer bothered to complain. As a customer service, Amazon could issue a credit to the customer but that would be their expense rather than the vendor who was at fault.
Finally, for the $120 annual fee, you get not only the video and music streaming. We originally subscribed for the video as a replacement for Netflix. I had not really been a fan of their shipping benefit, largely because the product specifications usually leave a lot to be desired and generally, theit prices tend to be somewhat higher than the eBay vendors. The free shipping has proven to be a boon these last few months though.