• nogooduser@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If you have an idea of what you want before the sale starts and know how much the standard price is you can still be lucky and get a good deal. You just have to be careful not to get sucked in to a non deal.

      For example, I was looking out for an Apple Watch. There is a good sale on them but they only have a limited set of body and strap combinations. I don’t want any of the straps on offer so it negates almost all of the discount as I’d be paying £50 for a strap that I wouldn’t use.

      • TouchTheFuckingFrog@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        This entire comment is the perfect explanation for my issue with people getting excited over Black Friday/Prime Day. I see so many people every year excitedly saying (or at times bragging), oh I got this, I got that, and it was so cheap. But unless you were already looking at that thing you haven’t saved money. You’ve actually spent more than you would have if it wasn’t on sale.

  • Moonrise2473@feddit.it
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    1 year ago

    In Europe there’s a law that forces stores (online but also physical) to post also the lowest minimum price in the last month.

    So it would be €199 €64 (lowest price in the last 30 days: €39)

    • dan@upvote.au
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      1 year ago

      Amazon US doesn’t do that, but they do show a “lowest price in 30 days” badge that is actually truthful (appears when the item is on sale and the sale price is the lowest in the last 30 days). Of course, there’s some sellers that game it by increasing their prices over 30 days before Prime Day.

      • Dudewitbow@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        I dont think it includes procong due to coupons though.

        If a product had a minor coupon (e.g <5$) and the product was discounted to that price without coupon, it would still advertise lowest price despite it not really changing.

    • Crow@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I don’t know if it’s a law here too in Canada, but Amazon.ca works the same. What sellers do to get around this just make a new listing for products at inflated rates so they can then discount them for “sales”, while simultaneously setting the regular listing to unavailable until the “sale” is over.

      • goomby69@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Using a browser addon that tracks price history, we found a bunch of “deals” on Amazon US that had raised the price 30 days ago and are now flagged “Lowest price in 30 days!”. The “deal” price was almost always the exact same price it was 31 days prior.

    • BrownMinusBlue@lemmygrad.ml
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      1 year ago

      I’m in Europe and have never seen this in my life, what I have seen is advice price which is another scam in itself.

    • Sk1kn1ght@ttrpg.network
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      1 year ago

      On Germany’s site it was rampant with crap like that that had it’s price raised literally 3 days before the prime day

  • r0kh0rd@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Not to defend Amazon, but in past years the comments in Reddit on this issue pointed out that Amazon has requirements on markdown percentages to qualify for prime day and lightning sales. As a result, vendors who control their price will artificially increase their price over the days leading to prime day and then apply the “discount”.

    I do wish that if that were the case that Amazon actually address it as they should be able to detect that pattern. I unfortunately think they don’t care as they make money regardless. I just wish they care a bit more about earning and keeping trust.

      • GARlactic@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The normal price is $89.99, which represents a 15% discount off the MSRP of $119.99 (that they’re claiming). The current price of $64.99, is a discount of 42%, which represents an additional 27% off. I don’t think this listing necessarily proves the point.

        That being said, companies absolutely do engage in this kind of bullshit. This one may have done it itself in order to claim the MSRP at $119.99.

  • morgan423@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Common Amazon deception. Mark up a product’s base cost artificially, then take a “percentage off” to bring it back down to near the base price it always is. Maybe slightly more expensive or cheaper, but usually just a smidge away from the normal cost. It’s for the illusion of “being on sale.”

    Use an Amazon price tracker site (like camel camel camel for example) so that you can always call out Amazon and make sure that you’re getting their actual lowest prices when you have to buy from them.

    • fuzzzerd@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Classic Kohl’s strategy, not sure if they did it first, but its the first place I saw it used in early 2000s.

      • TomFrost@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        A handful of years back, JC Penney made a huge deal about stopping this practice in their stores, where everything is on “sale” all the time. Sales plummeted even though the actual product prices stayed the same. They immediately reversed course.

        Hard to blame them. Human brains are weird.

    • dan1101@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Furniture stores are infamous for that. They make a big deal of closing down for a day and marking every item in the store with a big discount, but what they don’t tell you is they jack the price way up first before applying the discount.

  • Mythic@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Even the percentage claimed is just complete garbage. Zero proof of how many are actually sold, the counter could start at 70% sold for all we know. Even if there was proof, it’s still clearly just a “other people bought this so you aren’t stupid for buying it too”.

    Really good manipulation there tbh. Someone probably got a raise for that

    • Nulubez@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I do this for every item. I did buy some stuff this prime day and one item was in reality $5 cheaper… not the $15 Amazon said. I also sometimes find target, Walmart or Microcenter(frys) has just a good a deal: and those stores actually let you return stuff and give you your money back

    • Moonrise2473@feddit.it
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      1 year ago

      Amazon started in may sending a massive email campaign to all affiliates with referral links reminding prime day, if an user buys something using the link, the affiliate (in this case your credit union) will get a 5% commission

  • Rick@thesimplecorner.org
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    1 year ago

    Amusingly enough, I bought an small appliance yesterday, amazon had worse deals than a big box store. They had cheaper prices on no name junk that was gonna take a week to get to me. Prime day is total shit.

    • dan1101@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      IME Amazon has worse prices on a lot of stuff lately. It’s mostly just convenience at this point.

      • Rick@thesimplecorner.org
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        1 year ago

        Exactly, amazon is a thing because we all don’t have time to run to the store for that one thing that isn’t an emergency. I see it as another way that the " " system " " has boxed us more into the “CONSUME” driven American existence. Like, even if a store is 5 minutes away and you’re getting “one thing” it’s still going to take at least 30 minute commitment especially if that store is say “walmart”. If the store is 15 mins away, you’re basically at an hour commitment.

        We don’t have time to do stuff like that anymore! I am trying to weigh that thought and the idea we are all just brainwashed into the immediacy of needing everything now.

        I don’t know it’s a lot to think about… lol

        • TurboDiesel@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          For me, it’s not even time that pisses me off the most.

          The in-store retail experience has gone to complete and utter garbage. You take the time to get to the store, then wander around dirty aisles that are picked-over, only to find that the thing you needed or wanted isn’t even in stock (even though the website says it is). Having worked retail, I know there’s usually not “one in the back,” so even if I could find an employee (doubtful) it’s not worth the pain in the ass to do it. If you’re lucky there’s something good enough for purpose, so you take that to the front, where there’s one overworked cashier for the entire store and 3 more employees standing around talking next to the self checkouts, which don’t work.

          If I order the same thing on Amazon, sure, I might have to spend a couple dollars more. What I don’t have to do is deal with all the hassle that comes with brick-and-mortar retail. Plus, if something’s not right Amazon makes returns and exchanges pretty damn easy.

          • EssentialCoffee@midwest.social
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            1 year ago

            I look for stores that have pickup available for some things, them all I have to do is drive there and get it. No needing to look or wait. If it isn’t in stock, the order gets cancelled and I don’t have to look for it.

    • cyberpunk007@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If you’re into amazon electronics, that’s the only time to buy because it’s the only thing on sale. lol.

  • Squirrel@thelemmy.club
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    1 year ago

    Fucking AnazonBasics pulled this shit with something I bought. Not quite as bad; it was still technically on sale, but only by $2 instead of the $7 they would have you believe.

    • Bazoogle@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Yea, I don’t assume anything is on sale until I’ve looked at camelcamelcamel.com. Even then, it doesn’t get lightning deals, and some other random promotions, so it can be difficult to tell what an actual good price is.

      • Squirrel@thelemmy.club
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, I use Keepa for the same thing. I checked before I bought the item, but it surprised me to see Amazon’s brand pulling that stunt.

        • Bazoogle@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Really? It surprised you? It surprises me that surprised you. I would’ve been surprised if Amazon didn’t pull something like that

      • dan@upvote.au
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        1 year ago

        Camelcamelcamel is good, but Keepa has a browser extension that shows the price graph directly on the Amazon page, so you don’t have to go anywhere or click anything to see it.

  • Funderpants @lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    The AMD 5800x3d prime day deal is 9% off at $401 CAD, but two days ago it was $359.

    On the other hand, the Zotac RTX 4080 Trinity OC was $1589 CAD, and for prime day is $1229, an actual deal.

    • Mythic@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Except that the GPU is taking it on the chin on sales anyways. Probably a week from now it’ll be $1200 and they are just hoping to grab a few quick sales before the actual price drop

      • Funderpants @lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Absolutely right, we could see many 4080 cards drop to around 1200-1300. I hope we do.

  • FiveMacs@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    I called out best buy for this exact same practice years ago. I refuse to participate in mass sales now as a result. It’s all just a giant scam. Either blantant lies on pricing, or they use inferior parts for the sale items.

  • Sarcastik@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m the only one who was very underwhelmed by this year’s Prime Day(s)?

    I know it’s for clearing out their warehouses, but most of the sales were on crap or only minor discounts.

    • XTornado@lemmy.ml
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      I guess you meant underwhelmed instead of understanding.

      And well Idk I didn’t need anything so not sure. Personally the only thing I got was the Microsoft 365 Family subscription for 1 year since it was half a price than the usual renewall… Although now that I think about it maybe I should have bought more years.

    • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Every deal I was interested in I checked on camel camel camel. Everything was marked ~40% off but was really only like ~5-10% off. There were a few good deals, but they were in a sea of fake deals making it impossible to actually find them.

    • SCB@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Demand is through the roof so there is less excess inventory to try to move.

    • Altima NEO@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      I mostly bought mundane stuff and I’m turn didn’t leave disappointed. Disinfecting wipes, ibuprofen, etc.

  • Shard@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The only advice I can give is buy base on what you feel an item is worth to you.

    I’m perfectly fine to keep searching for something for months before I finally make a purchase cause its the right price, color and model for me.