Amazon Temporarily Offers Free Unlimited Shipping to Israel for Prime Members

Over the recent weekend, Amazon unexpectedly provided free shipping without limits on cost or weight for Prime members ordering to Israel. From Wednesday night through midweekend, Israeli customers were able to order a wide range of products including fitness bikes, inflatable SUP boards, suitcases, and computer monitors with no shipping fees. Even small, inexpensive items worth just a few dollars shipped for free, resembling Chinese e-commerce platforms' policies. Non-Prime customers continued to pay reduced but not free shipping rates.

This unusual shipping policy abruptly ended late Friday night after Amazon apparently noticed the surge in heavy and bulky orders from Israel. Many Israelis hope this was not a mistake but a preliminary test for a new shipping model. Currently, Amazon offers free shipping to Israel on orders over $49 for select items, a promotion running intermittently since 2019. Prime membership costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually, with the first month free.

Eitan, manager of the "Simply Cheap" Telegram shopping group, explained that the change allowed all items shipped to Israel to be free for Prime members, regardless of size or price. He cited examples such as ordering a $5 toothpaste with free home delivery and large items like a $558 32-inch monitor or a $60 fitness bed, all shipped without additional cost. Typically, shipping for large items can cost $100 to $200. The free shipping also applied to all clothing sizes and colors, unlike the usual limited selections.

Amazon canceled the free shipping offer early Friday morning, likely due to recognizing the glitch. While some initially thought it might be a new policy, it appears to have been an error or system test. Eitan speculated Amazon might have been assessing customer response and sales impact, as free shipping above certain amounts is common on platforms like AliExpress, though Amazon's service and reliability differ.

Customers now await confirmation that their orders will not be canceled. If Amazon honors the shipments, it could mark a significant shift in shipping policies to Israel, potentially disrupting the local market.

Summary: Amazon briefly allowed unlimited free shipping to Israel for Prime members over a weekend, enabling orders of large and expensive items without shipping fees. The offer ended after a few days, likely due to a system glitch, but it may have been a test for future shipping policies.

Points: - Amazon offered free unlimited shipping to Israel for Prime members from Wednesday night to Friday. - Orders included large, heavy, and expensive items typically costly to ship. - The free shipping ended after Amazon detected the surge in orders. - The promotion resembled Chinese e-commerce free shipping models. - Customers hope this was a test, not a permanent policy or error. - Prime membership costs $14.99/month or $139/year with free shipping benefits.

Topic: economy israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Eitan"],"organizations":["Amazon","Simply Cheap"],"places":["Israel"]}