Amazon Mom now COSTS $79/year! What a racket!

Please read, then feel free to help me figure this out (this was the email I got today, and pay careful attention to the part explaining what happens after 3 months if you don't sign up for Prime):

The Amazon Mom program is changing in 2012 and we want to make sure you know about it. Some of these changes affect your membership. Here's how:

Starting on January 24, 2012, the maximum discount available on diapers and wipes subscriptions will be 20%. This includes a 5% Subscribe & Save discount plus an additional 15% exclusively for Amazon Mom members who are earning free shipping benefits or have an active Amazon Prime membership.
Customers who join Amazon Mom in 2012 will get three months of FREE Two-Day Shipping benefits. Once the initial free period is over, customers can join Amazon Prime to continue to receive full access to Amazon Mom and Amazon Prime benefits.
Since your free shipping benefits have ended and you have not yet joined Amazon Prime, the additional 15% Amazon Mom discount on diapers and wipes subscriptions will expire on January 24, 2012.

We hope that you have enjoyed the value and convenience of your Amazon Mom membership over the past year. To continue receiving all the benefits of Amazon Mom, join Amazon Prime for $79/year. As a Prime member you'll receive:

20% off diapers and wipes subscriptions with Amazon Mom and Subscribe & Save.
FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items.
Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of videos with a wide range of content for the whole family, including Sesame Street and Phineas and Ferb.

Unbelieveable! And ALL my benefits will expire Jan 24 if I don't pay them the money. AND I can't even ask for an extra delivery of diapers before the exp date. They have it BLOCKED! AND I still have one account with 30% off, and I won't get to take advantage of it b/c it doesn't ship until February!
Who can we call to complain?!?!?!

Please contact Amazon directly about this. I know I am. I hope they get flooded with emails. I know its a free program and there entlited to do as they please however it seems like false advertisment. They advertised all there great benefits and so many moms "took the bait" and then they just snatch out from under us. I literally spends thousands and I mean thousands on here this last year. Thousands that I would have spent somewhere else.

I agree, this is really icky. I order all of my diapers, etc from Diapers.com, and they have free next-day shipping and the best prices I have found on diapers (you can sign up for their diaper program and get discounts on cases). they have other sites as well -- wag.com for pets, soap.com for household products, yoyo.com for toys -- and they all ship together so you can make the $49 minimum for free shipping really easily. I don't work for diapers.com but I LOVE them. Their customer service is the BEST Ive ever experienced.. Which is great when I'm juggling an infant, and a job and a home. :)

Amen Jessica, I sent them an email too. Over the years, I've spent countless thousands of dollars and have been a loyal subscriber, and even ordering extra on the MOM

With Netflix, BOA and the like, every big business seems like they are finding ways to reel in more dough through existing customers. I canceled my MOM membership today and am going elsewhere, even at a higher cost obviously.

I'm there with you folks. I hope someone creates a Facebook group about this.

I've tried to post on the Amazon Mom FB page, and they deleted all messages immediately, AND reported me for spam. All in the span of 3 minutes.
By the way, AMAZON owns DIAPERS.COM.

[Deleted by the author on Jan 12, 2012 2:36:15 PM PST]

While it looks like you can't ask for an extra delivery to stock up, you might be able to do a new subscription on the same product before the 24th. I'm upset too, but reality is that this was a phenomenal deal on diapers. I can't find a better deal on the diapers I buy. Too bad, at least we saved money while we could!

Everyone! I made a petition on change.org for this very cause! Let's get signing- it sends emails to Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO) and Executive Customer Relations for each and every person who signs it! So please, come, see, sign and share with everyone you know (member or not)!! Spread the word- http://www.change.org/petitions/amazoncom-ceo-remove-the-79year-charge-for-amazon-mom-and-give-us-back-the-30-discount#

Great idea Sarah! I've loved buying diapers from Amazon, and have been very happy with the discounts. Wish they'd allow us to keep the discounts!

Great idea Sarah! I just joined your cause!

The following is an exchange between me and the lovely customer service rep at Amazon. You'll note at the very end, how he tells me to please wait, and then cuts me off without a manager. Wow.

You are now connected to Wayne Kenneth from Amazon.com.
Me:I would like to know why I can't request an additional delivery of diapers like I've ALWAYS been able to do?4:51:01 PM

Me:It would seem, after talking to some people, that ALL current diapers and wipes subscriptions have been frozen from additioanl shipments to force us to pay for PRIME to stay a part of what was supposed to be the FREE Amazon Mom program.4:51:01 PM

Me:I demand to know what is going on, and I need the additional shipment of diapers. We are out.4:51:01 PM

Wayne Kenneth:Hi this is Wayne, sorry for the inconvenience. Let me just check on this.4:52:16 PM

Me:Can I please have an answer?5:01:27 PM

Wayne Kenneth:Just a moment.5:01:44 PM

Wayne Kenneth:What is the error message when you try to buy an extra diapers?5:03:16 PM

Me:"Extra delivery not available at this time".5:03:46 PM

Me:It won't even let me hit the button.5:03:54 PM

Wayne Kenneth:I see, sorry to hear about that.5:05:13 PM

Wayne Kenneth:Extra deliveries may not be available on all Subscribe & Save items. Check your Manage Your Subscribe & Save Items page to determine if it is available for your subscriptions. 5:06:19 PM

Me:What can be done to override it? I know the diapers are in stock: it lets me order a brand new subscription with no problem.5:06:44 PM

Me:It has ALWAYS been available. I've done it on this subscription before when needed.5:07:12 PM

Wayne Kenneth:What diapers are you referring to so I can check it here on my end.5:09:30 PM

Me:pampers baby dry sz 5 ecomony pack 172 count5:10:38 PM

Wayne Kenneth:let me check if I can add it here on my end.5:10:54 PM

Wayne Kenneth:As I have reviewed the item, this item is not eligible for extra delivery anymore. This issue does not have any connection with amazon mom changes because the chages would take effect on January 24th.5:14:51 PM

Wayne Kenneth:What I suggest for now is order the item from your cart.5:15:36 PM

Me:I dont get my 30% discount if I do that. Sounds pretty convenient from Amazon's end.5:16:28 PM

Me:The issue is that NOBODY is able to order extra diapers right now to help amazon avoid having to let anyone else get the Amazon Mom benefits for free.5:17:19 PM

Me:So, when did diapers become ineligible for an extra delivery?5:17:50 PM

Me:Wouldn't diapers be one of those very things people might need "extra" of?5:18:11 PM

Me:Are you going to get a manager to help with this?5:23:07 PM

Wayne Kenneth:I understand that diapers is a need but since it is ineligible for extra delivery in subscribe and save, I suggest to choose the other option which is you can order it from yuour cart.5:25:06 PM

Me:I want to know WHY it has just today become ineligible for extra delivery?5:25:29 PM

Wayne Kenneth:Our promotions are constantly changing, The extra delivery options was part of the changes made today.5:27:48 PM

Me:How is ordering an extra shipment of diapers a "promotion"? It has never been touted as such. I want to speak with a manager.5:28:43 PM

Wayne Kenneth:please wait. I will look for 1.5:30:25 PM

Wayne Kenneth:I understand your disappointment about the program changes to Amazon Mom. I will pass along this feedback to the Amazon Mom team.5:41:55 PM

Wayne Kenneth:Please know that we value our customers tremendously, and as the program evolves, we're working hard to ensure Amazon Mom will continue to offer great savings and convenience on diapers, wipes, and more for years to come.5:41:55 PM

Wayne Kenneth:Since you've been idle for 5 minutes, I'll need to disconnect this chat. I'll send you a follow up e-mail about our conversation. We hope to see you again soon!5:48:34 PM

The amazon mom program was the most wonderful program. I am a foster mom and I needed the savings so badly. I am so sad to see it go. Now I have to start looking around for baby supplies and pricing everything. I have 2 babies and I loved Amazon for their treatment to moms. I buy almost everything on Amazon. This makes me mad too because the letter makes it sound like there are just a few changes, but really they are taking away our benefits. This reminds me of Netflix.

I just wasted over an hour on this. I am VERY frustrated. I spend SO much money with amazon. SO upset.

What frustrates me (on top of everything else) was that I was actually considering doing a Prime Membership. I just ordered a Kindle and was debating paying the $80 so that I could then spend more money (by having free shipping on orders under $25). But now I will NOT sign up for Prime because I do not want them to think I did it due to their Amazon Mom changes! I'm actually thinking about returning the Kindle & accessories I purchased and buying a Nook instead.

Amazon Mom initially was promoted as a new program to help saves parents money on baby essentials. AS A BONUS they touted the free Prime Membership for 3 months up to 1 year with eligible purchases. But NOW they are changing it and making it so that you have to pay to receive the discount. Yes Amazon Mom WAS a free program, but it is no longer free which is what is so infuriating.

@Elegant Gowns. I agree. And btw the Nook is amazing, I love it. It is voted best book reader.

I think the best we can do here is to simply shop elsewhere for the best deal on diapers, and not participate in the Prime program. Unfortunately, they have the right to limit quantities and shipments and discounts at any time, without notice. That's part of the User Agreement or whatever. I had this problem with Sam's Club and a discount program on prescriptions. We have a lawyer on retainer for our business, so I asked him what was up, since he doesn't really do anything important anyway, and that's the answer I got.

And just a note, "demanding" to know why vast changes have been made in policy, and shouting at someone in a very aggressive (even for the internet) tone about how their new policy is an injustice is probably not going to yield positive results. I'm not trying to start anything, I just think he might have been more helpful if you hadn't jumped down his throat about a policy he clearly had no control over.

Did anyone really think that the promotional Prime membership through Amazon mom wasn't a way to try to get more people to sign up for the paid Amazon Prime membership? It seems obvious to me that this program was always going to be temporary. Shop around, find the best deal for you and buy your diapers there. I guess I don't understand why people are so outraged.

Cancel your subscription and then sign up again right away! You'll at least get one more shipment at a discount! Then go somewhere else.

Amazon fails!...this past fall amazon raised the price on our huggies snug and dry. And now with canceling my Amazon mom, my diapers are costing 10$ more a box. That is more than a 40% increase on what I have to pay for diapers. Looks like Walmart and Costco are going to be very happy with one very bad move by Amazon.

This is complete BS. Did you also know that supposedly the Mom program is "full" now and you have to be on some stupid waiting list?
This is crap AMAZON and you are just trying to make more money off us Moms who are trying to save some money for our families. So guess what, all that shopping I do with you guys? DONE, you have lost my business and I buy EVERYTHING on Amazon, not anymore. I'll go to Costco or shop elsewhere from now on. That's what you get for being so greedy!!
Seattle mom!

For anyone who's interested- I started a petition on change.org for this. Hopefully the CEO (Jeff Bezos) will read the 200+ emails already sent to his personal inbox through my petition and change his mind. If you want to support the cause go to: http://www.change.org/petitions/amazoncom-ceo-remove-the-79year-charge-for-amazon-mom-and-restore-the-original-program and sign and share the petition. Good luck to us!

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I was lucky to be able to create a new account after my previous Amazon Mom account expired in October. I got this same email on my email that's connected with my expired account but not my current account. So this doesn't affect current Amazon Mom members at the moment. My benefits will probably expire in October again so after that I'm not sure what we will do. My husband and I have Kindles and we do almost all our Christmas shopping as well as other household/baby items on Amazon, so we *may* end up paying for Prime. I'm not sure though as I haven't talked to him about it yet.