Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are finally here, and this year is a big one. As the retailer’s 10th anniversary, there is an extra push for milestone discounts that we’d usually only see on Black Friday. There are so many deals that it’s easy to miss out, so we’ve come up with a handy guide on how you can make the most of your shopping experience.
Remember, the Amazon Prime Day sale and its Big Deal Days follow-up are only available to subscribers. A Prime membership offers many benefits, and you can join monthly or save a little with a yearly upfront payment. There’s even a free 30-day trial for first-timers in the UK and the US.
Lightning deals
Lightning deals are fleeting limited-time discounts that disappear almost as soon as they crop up. They are also limited in stock, and once they’re gone, you won’t see the same savings for quite some time. You can gauge how long is left with the countdown and claimed progress bar, but I don’t recommend you hang around for too long on these ones.
Preparation is the key to most aspects of life, and Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is no exception. During the event, the retailer will show a public list of all upcoming lightning deals so you know what to expect. You can join the waitlist to get a notification of when the discount goes live. Just remember to set an alarm if it’s during the middle of the night or early in the morning because Amazon takes no breaks during its two-day extravaganza.
Coupons and vouchers
Coupons are a little frustrating because they’re not the easiest savings to spot. After all, they don’t reflect on the overall listing’s price until you’ve already popped it in your basket. Not to be confused with your Amazon gift card balance, vouchers are usually highlighted in green or orange below the price of each item.
When you’re fortunate enough to come across one, they’re often the best way to bring costs down. You’ll need to manually activate it, which seems a bit redundant as it’s an offer nobody is going to refuse, but this is as simple as the click of a button. The real challenge is finding them. There is actually a secret homepage for them that isn’t readily obvious like other sale items. Just follow the widget below.
Amazon coupons
“Visit Amazon’s secret homepage for all its vouchers and coupons, granting you up to 50% off some of the best items on the marketplace.”
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Price checkers
Whenever an event like Amazon Prime Big Deal Days rolls around, there are two reasons you usually buy something. The first and most ideal is that you want it, and you’ve waited until it’s cheaper. However, more often than not, there’s a great, big, whopping discount you just can’t say no to. Watch out for those because not everything is what it seems.
I’ve come across 78% off items that aren’t actually any more affordable than usual. Instead, they cost the same as they always have, but with a strikethrough indicating they’re on a deal. Shady retail tactics, but perfectly legal across most of the world.
Historical price checkers are your best friend. These show previous discounts on Amazon, so you can tell what’s truly on sale and those just pretending to have one. Do note that this data doesn’t include coupons, as vouchers are applied separately. I recommend CamelCamelCamel, but Keepa is another good option. Both have plugins you can pop on your browser so you know you’re not getting ripped off before clicking purchase.
By creating an account with these checkers, you can even set up notifications for when an item falls below a certain price. It’s handy for that long-awaited upgrade where you just don’t want to pay the full whack.
