is amazon prime day a scam

Is Amazon Prime Day a Scam

Table of Content

Amazon Prime Day is an annual event that has become a major shopping extravaganza for consumers worldwide. With its promise of deep discounts and exclusive deals, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and start filling your virtual cart with items you may or may not need. But is Amazon Prime Day all it’s cracked up to be, or is it just a clever marketing ploy to get you to spend more money?

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What is amazon prime day

Amazon Prime Day is an annual sale event exclusively for Prime members, typically held in mid-July. It’s one of the biggest shopping days of the year, featuring deep discounts and special promotions across a wide range of products, from electronics and home goods to clothing and toys.

Are things cheaper on Amazon Prime Day

Amazon claims that during Prime Day, all products for members will be cheaper, reaching historically low prices. But is this really the case? Many users have discovered that Amazon sellers quietly raise the prices of products before the event, then apply discounts during the event to meet the promotional claims.

These users monitored the prices of items in their shopping carts a few weeks before the event and recorded them. One to two weeks before Prime Day, they noticed that sellers had increased the prices of these items. During the event, the prices were essentially the same as the original prices. For example, an electric toothbrush that originally cost $45 might be increased to $49.50 a few days before the event, then sold at a 10% discount during Prime Day, bringing the price back down to $45. This discovery suggests that Amazon is promoting the event without genuinely benefiting consumers.

Therefore, if you plan to shop during Amazon Prime Day, be cautious. Many items in your shopping cart might not be any cheaper than their regular prices.

screenshot of people who say the prices are going higher before prime day

Is amazon prime day worth it

Therefore, whether it is worth shopping during Prime Day is still up for debate. The phenomenon of raising prices before the event is not something only a few people have noticed; a considerable number of people have reported that Amazon is merely using the guise of discounts to entice consumers, though many have yet to realize this. Some users have mentioned using price monitoring tools like Camelizer, which show that Amazon’s prices during the event are indeed lower than the lowest prices of the year. However, others have pointed out that Camelizer was once quite accurate, allowing users to see the historical prices of products, but Amazon has since added clickable coupon boxes that Camelizer cannot track, making its data less reliable.

Additionally, some users have noted that Amazon uses AI to monitor the products you browse, their prices, and your actions, and adjusts the prices accordingly.

Of course, there are also those who have indeed purchased items at lower prices than usual, such as T-shirts, glasses, etc. Thus, whether shopping during Amazon Prime Day is worthwhile might depend on the specific items you are purchasing.

screenshot of people who say the prices are cheaper

Amazon prime day shopping tips

Regarding the above situations, there are many different opinions, and it can be confusing to know which one to believe. However, there is no need to overthink it. It is possible that all of the above scenarios are true, as different situations can occur. Therefore, we can adopt different solutions depending on the specific situation.

1. Do your research: If you plan to shop during Prime Day, add the items you want to your cart a month in advance and track the price changes. Seeing is believing, so by doing this yourself, you can see whether Amazon actually raises prices before the event. If you find that they do raise prices before the event, then you can save yourself the trouble of trying to get the best deal.

2. Use price monitoring tools: If you find it too troublesome to monitor prices yourself, you can also install price monitoring plugins or apps to help you do this. For example, some netizens have mentioned Keepa and Camelcamelcamel.com. These tools can show you the historical lowest price of an item, so you can judge whether it is really worth buying.

3. Be skeptical of inflated discounts: If a discount seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be fooled by large percentage discounts without doing your research.

4. Compare prices across retailers: Don’t just assume that Amazon has the best price on a particular item. Check prices at other retailers, both online and in-store, to see if you can find a better deal. Or go to cashback website to save more.

5. Beware of lightning deals: Lightning deals are limited-time offers that often have very small quantities available. These deals can be tempting, but they often create a sense of urgency that can lead to impulse purchases.

6. Don’t feel pressured to buy: Just because it’s Prime Day doesn’t mean you have to buy anything. If you’re not sure whether you need something or if the deal is really that good, wait until after the event to make a decision.

How long does a refund from amazon prime take

The processing time for an Amazon Prime refund typically takes 3-5 business days. Once your refund is processed, it will be credited back to your original payment method. In some cases, it may take an additional 1-2 business days for the funds to appear in your account.

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