Amazon Prime Day is here, which means the best Prime Day deals on luggage, cleaning and kitchen appliances, and Apple products are just a tap away.
Prime Day is certainly a great time to shop for discounted items, but we know it’s all too easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy and spend too much on things you don’t need. Or, worse yet, end up buying a counterfeit product or a deal that isn’t as good as it seems.
Fortunately for impulse shoppers, there are some foolproof ways to avoid making bad purchases on Amazon Prime Day.
Below are a few things we’ve learned you should never buy on Prime Day, along with tips on how to avoid scams and shop smarter to get the best deals. After all, it’s all about shopping smarter, not harder.
1. Items from third-party sellers
Be wary of offers from third-party, unverified sellers – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, if you’ve had your eye on a juicer that’s suddenly half-price from a seller with a misspelled store name, it’s best to steer clear.
Here are some ways to tell if a brand is verified:
- Check where the item is soldand/or what brand sells it. Ideally, the product is shipped and sold by Amazon.com — Find this information in the right rail, below the “Add to Cart” button.
- Buy from brands that have been verified through Amazon. Trade mark for legitimate products. Many manufacturers and retailers have signed up, giving them a verified store within Amazon. When you click through to the seller’s page, it should typically appear with plenty of other items from other brands on sale (Revlon’s Amazon store is a great example). When one of these verified sellers offers a deal, you can trust that the offer is trustworthy while still enjoying the convenience of Prime shipping (and returns!)
2. Shopping without a list
With the onslaught of Prime Day deals, it’s easy to get distracted by impulse buys that you a.) won’t use or b.) will overspend on. Focus on the essentials you’ve been eyeing, like home, pet, and baby products. Use wish lists and notifications to monitor prices on items you want. Tip: Prime members can download the Amazon Shopping app and set up custom deal alerts to get notified when items you’ve recently searched for are on sale.
And if your cart is prepped and ready before the sale starts, it’ll be easier (and faster) to purchase the items you’ve been wanting. Simply refresh the page to purchase them right away. We often see the most popular items, like Apple AirPods, sell out first. So log in early, have your cart ready, and get ready to click!
3. Misleading sales and high prices
Be wary of offers on items that have already been repriced, otherwise you may not get as good a deal as you think. Fortunately, there are some foolproof ways to spot unscrupulous offers. Apps like CamelCamelCamel show how the price of an item has fluctuated to ensure you really get the best deal. This pricing tool monitors millions of products to track price history and alert you when prices drop with its Chrome extension.
False point It also tracks price history and trends to analyze products, but even better, Fakespot can help you identify counterfeit products and items that are riddled with fake or altered reviews. You can either visit the site directly or install a handy Chrome extension that will let you know if the item you’re considering is really as perfect as it seems.
4. Do not clip the coupon
Every penny counts! Coupons sweeten a good Prime Day deal. Not all brands offer additional coupons, but the ones that do allow you to save a few extra dollars on top of the current deal. Just make sure to click on the digital coupon (a little checkbox sometimes found below the price). before Make the payment to accumulate the discount correctly. We have seen that up to $70 is deducted from the final total.
5. Bad deals (or good deals on not-so-good products)
In a recent survey, Good Housekeeping Readers said they won’t get out of bed for deals under 50% off on Prime Day. We feel you: Luckily, we’re already seeing products like Amazon gadgets over 50% off, and Instant Pots historically 60% off, in addition to reduced prices on big-ticket items like appliances, TVs, and laptops.
That said, there is never a good deal on a bad product – consider the quality of the items you are investing in and whether or not it is better to splurge a little (at a higher price or with a smaller discount) on items that are actually worth it. Don’t forget to look for tried and trusted products on the Laboratories of the Institute of Good Maintenance Practices.
