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Amazon Prime Members Losing Try Before You Buy

By Crystal Crowder
Boutique clothing store.

Amazon’s been cutting back quite a bit on Amazon Prime benefits and the latest casualty is the Try Before You Buy Program. Formerly known as Prime Wardrobe, Amazon announced members have less than a month to enjoy this Prime perk.

Amazon’s Been Cutting The Program for Years

I remember using Prime Wardrobe and then Try Before You Buy. Originally, it was easy to find thousands of shirts, pants, shoes, and more to try out before handing over any money. I had seven days to try things on, figure out which size was best, and send the rest back. It was easy and convenient.

Like most other Amazon Prime members, I noticed the number of items gradually shrinking since the program launched in 2018. Now, I know why. It was Amazon’s way of weening users from the program.

Now, if you visit the Prime Try Before You Buy page, you’ll see a message announcing the program officially ends on January 31, 2025. The reason is to cut costs on the high number of returns.

Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy page announcing program end.

The irony is just below the message telling Prime members they’re losing yet another perk is a Try Prime promo. I’m not sure that’s the best time to advertise the benefits of joining the program.

Free Shipping and Returns Still Exist Though

Of course, as an Amazon Prime member, you still get free shipping and returns on all products sold through Amazon. Remember, this doesn’t include items that aren’t sold by or processed by Amazon, so pay close attention when ordering.

Even though Try Before You Buy is coming to an end, you’re still free to order multiple sizes of the same item to see what fits best and then return what doesn’t fit. Of course, you’ll have to go through customer service now, which is more of a hassle. My guess is customer service is about to get busier than ever trying to process all the returns from people trying to find the right clothing and shoes.

Returning an item on Amazon.

Amazon’s also testing AI for helping customers find the perfect fit. From generating models with the customer’s measurements to see how an item might look to summarizing reviews to explain if sizing runs small, large, or true to size, it’s supposedly easier to pick the correct size the first time. The AI even extends to other items, such as furniture.

Customers Re-evaluating Prime’s Value

Amazon Prime already increased its price to $139 a year, up from $119. Then, the retail giant decided to cut back on the Prime Video perk by including ads. Yes, you can remove them, for an added fee. However, there are still numerous benefits, including the recently added gas savings at limited stations. But, I understand if this is the last straw for you. The good thing is Amazon makes it easy to cancel your Prime membership at any time.

If you loved the Try Before You Buy, consider other similar programs, such as Stitch Fix, Wantable, and DAILYLOOK.

Image credit: Unsplash

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Crystal Crowder Avatar
Crystal Crowder
Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.

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