Amazon Prime Day doubles down: Four days of deals kick off July 8

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Get ready, shoppers! Amazon's Prime Day is expanding to four days this year, offering Prime members an extended opportunity to snag hundreds of thousands of deals across virtually every category imaginable. The massive savings event officially kicks off on July 8 at 12:01 a.m. PDT, promising the "longest and most value-packed Prime Day in Amazon's history."

Can't wait until July 8? You're in luck! Prime members can already unlock exclusive discounts on a variety of items. It's a great time to support Canadian brands and small businesses with special offers on products from companies like Organika, MalloMe, Gala Houseware, IMGadgets, and Only One Treats.

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Amazon Prime members can access the entire Amazon Music catalogue, but only in shuffle mode

Amazon Prime gets a pretty sweet perk for music lovers. (At least those without a music streaming subscription yet.) The company now gives its Prime members access to its 100 million-plus song catalogue instead of the curated two-million song library before. Of course, there's a condition. You can only play songs in shuffle mode. If you want to select specific albums or tracks, you'll need to get an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription. That tier gives you access to lossless HD music playback, Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio support, and more.

But on top of this, Amazon Prime members are also getting access to many ad-free podcasts, new Amazon Exclusives podcasts, and a refreshed Amazon Music app.

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EU consumers can unsubscribe to Amazon Prime in two clicks

The new Amazon cancellation process includes a “prominent and clear” cancel button and short explanatory text. (Source: The Next Web)

It will be much easier for consumers in the EU to unsubscribe to Amazon Prime. It'll now let EU and European Economic Area consumers unsubscribe from the service with just two clicks, using a prominent and actual "cancel" button. The last option required several steps and a method the EU calls "confirm shaming" that makes users feel like they'll lose out if they continue the process.

Extensive lobbying by EU and EEA consumer organizations helped bring about this change. They even penned a 2021 report entitled, "You Can Log Out, But You Can Never Leave." This is a change we definitely hope to see implemented on more platforms and in more countries.

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Amazon Prime will cost a bit more in Canada

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We've managed to escape Amazon Prime price hikes since it became available in 2013. But that isn't the case anymore. The $8 per month rate will now cost $10, and the $79 per year will now cost $99. Existing users will see the price jump next month after May 13, while new subscribers will pay this higher fee immediately. 

According to the company, the price hike is because it "continues to invest heavily in Prime," including a more comprehensive product selection and the introduction earlier this year of free one-day shipping on items in most Canadian cities without a minimum purchase requirement. The subscription also includes access to its video streaming service, music, e-books, and gaming options. Amazon has been aggressively spending on its movies and TV shows, so it's unsurprising it's starting to ask customers to pay up.

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