HOW NOT TO GET RIPPED OFF ON PRIME DAY
After covering Amazon Prime Day (and other big sales events) for many years, we’ve become very good at telling the difference between genuine bargains and deals that aren’t quite as good as they may first appear to be. Here’s how to ensure you won’t suffer buyer’s remorse after splurging on any Prime Day deals.
1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
As fun as it is to browse all the deals to see if anything catches your eye, it’s also easy to be tempted into buying something you don’t really want or need. If you have particular kinds of products in mind, it’s wise to list them in advance and search for them on the day so you don’t get distracted by sales fever.
2. DECIDE ON YOUR DEAL-BREAKERS
If you’re looking for something specific, know exactly what you’re looking for. For example if you want Dolby Vision HDR on a 4K TV, you don’t want a Samsung: their TVs don’t support that HDR format. If you want a future-proof gaming TV, you really don’t want one without at least some HDMI 2.1 support. When you know your deal-breakers and must-haves it becomes much easier to focus on the deals that’ll bring you joy. A bargain isn’t a bargain if it doesn’t have the features or specifications you really care about.
3. BUDGET YOURSELF
Set a budget and stick to it. And we’d also recommend paying with a debit card rather than a credit card, unless you’re the type who clears their balance regularly. High-APR credit cards can charge interest that over time can wipe out the money you’re saving.
4. CHECK THE PRIME DAY PRICE
Some deals are not quite as generous as they may first appear. For example, as we write this we’re looking at an LG 4K TV with a whopping 50% off: instead of the £499.99 RRP, it’s just £249. But as far as we can tell Amazon has never charged £499 for that model: the most expensive it’s ever been was £429 back in September, and it’s been under £300 since January. We know this because we checked the Amazon price history for the TV in CamelCamelCamel.com, and we’d recommend you do the same with any good-sounding deal: you’ll often find that discounts are based on RRPs that were never applied or are based on temporary price increases.
We’d also recommend using a price comparison site such as PriceSpy or
PriceRunner. You’ll often find that advertised deals are available from other retailers for the same price. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not good deals, but it does make them feel less urgent.
5. DON’T DISCOUNT OLDER PRODUCTS Some of the very best deals we’ve seen in previous Prime Days have been on products that are slightly older, such as the previous year’s top TVs. You’ll often find that your money goes much further on those products than it does with newer ones, so for example getting a big discount on a high-spec 2021 TV is likely to get you a better television than if you spend the same amount on a slightly discounted mid-range 2022 model. Many products don’t change dramatically from year to year, so if you don’t feel the need to be an early adopter you’re more likely to get a really great deal.
That said, beware products that are a little too old. Android smartphone makers typically stop issuing software and security updates after two to three years, which can limit their usefulness; and Apple has moved away from Intel processors for most Mac computers, so you can expect it to stop supporting Intelpowered MacBooks within a few years.