You've probably heard of Amazon Fresh, the exclusive grocery service for Amazon Prime members that allows users to have fresh groceries delivered right to their doors. For those who go to college in Seattle, LA, San Francisco, San Diego, NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, London, Sacramento, Dallas, or Chicago, Amazon Fresh is a great alternative to walking to the closest supermarket and hauling bags of groceries back to campus. Instead, students can order their groceries online or through the Amazon app, schedule a delivery time, and have their groceries delivered right to their door! However, like any service, there are some setbacks, particularly when having Amazon Fresh deliver to a college campus.
1. You Must Use Attended Delivery
One of the features that really drew my attention to Amazon Fresh was that they can drop off your groceries at your door like any other package without you needing to be there. However, at a college campus, your address does not qualify for an unattended delivery. Instead, you must select a two hour time slot (not a one hour time slot, as Amazon advertises) when a delivery driver will bring the bags to you. You must be present at the delivery, which can be difficult if you have a busy schedule. Amazon does offer a wide variety of time slots, ranging from as early as 6am-8am to as late as 8pm-10pm. Weekend deliveries are also available.
2. Fresh Costs $14.99/Month
And you must be a Prime member to be eligible for Amazon Fresh. So, on top of the $59/year Prime Student fee (after the first 6 free months), you would pay another $180/year to add Amazon Fresh. This is one of those budget things where you'll have to decide if it's worth the convenience of not having to travel to get your groceries and if you'll save enough by avoiding impulse buys that you can justify the cost. Amazon offers a 30 day free trial of Amazon Fresh, which is a great way to decide if the service will be right for you before you commit.
3. The Prices Are Comparable To Supermarkets
Don't expect to save money on the actual groceries by shopping on Amazon Fresh. While some items are on sale each month (This month I got Silk Almond Milk for $1 off), the base prices of most of the items available are similar to what you'd find in your local supermarket.
4. You Can't Use Manufacturer Coupons
Amazon Fresh is definitely not the place for extreme couponers. Amazon offers its own coupons occasionally, usually to promote a new product; however, you cannot use any other coupons to save money on your Amazon Fresh order.
5. The Bags Are Bulky And Awkward
Your groceries are delivered in large green reusable totes. For the small order I recently made, I received three totes, one with refrigerated goods packed with five reusable ice packs, one with dry goods, and one with frozen goods packed in dry ice. Each item was also wrapped in a disposable plastic bag. The totes were very awkward to carry up the stairs, and the bag of refrigerated goods was so heavy that it should have been divided into two bags. After some work, the three totes folded down into one tote, but they still take up a large amount of room in my tiny dorm. The next time you order, the driver will pick up your totes from a previous order, or you can contact customer service and schedule a bag pickup.
6. Items Can Be Damaged In Transit
Because the bags can spend several hours in transit and are not tightly packed, the contents can shift and become damaged during delivery. During my recent order, the two bottles of almond milk I ordered were placed on top of my container of fresh mozzarella, which then leaked all over the bag. Luckily, only the mozzarella was damaged, and Amazon refunded me promptly for the items involved.
7. Instruct The Driver Where To Meet You
You may know your campus like the back of your hand, but the Amazon Fresh delivery driver sure won't. In the delivery instructions on your order, specify a location to meet your driver that is easy for them to find that is also close to where they will unload the bags from the truck. You can name and describe a hall, tell them you'll come to the parking lot, or even outside the mailroom.
8. Bring An ID When You Meet The Driver
Your driver may ask to see an ID to verify that you are the person they are supposed to be delivering to. Your student ID works just fine. You might want to have a copy of the order pulled up on your phone pulled up too just in case the account is under a different name or if the driver asks for more proof.
9. Keep An Open Schedule Around Your Delivery Window
Life happens. Your delivery driver might get stuck in traffic and run fifteen minutes late, or someone might change their delivery at the last minute and you might get bumped up earlier in the run. Make sure you're available about half an hour before and after your scheduled delivery window.
10. Tip Your Delivery Driver
You should give your delivery driver a tip. $2-$3 is appropriate. They are underpaid for the amount of manual labor they're doing, so let them know you appreciate the service and that you care about them.
