WIRED covers great deals throughout the year, including on Prime Day. Our tips below will help you find that amazing discount on your own.
How do I know if an agreement is good?
ABC: Always check (i.e. prices). Researching an item’s price is the most important aspect of determining the quality of a discount. Do not fall prey to deceptive marketing language and high MSRP prices — our tips only take a few moments. The easiest step is to take a moment to Google the items you are considering so that you can see the price in various stores.
One tool we like to use is Camelcamelcamel, which tracks Amazon’s prices over time. Just paste the Amazon link or ASIN (found in the product information section on the Amazon product page) into Camelcamelcamel’s search bar and you’ll see an item’s lowest recorded price, its average price and how often the price fluctuates. Some deals, such as Lightning Deals, have been excluded from the price history, but it’s still helpful to see what an item has been sold for in the past.
We also really like Keepa, which has an extension (available for multiple browsers) that shows the recent pricing history for products directly on the Amazon page so you never have to open a new tab. Other great tools are Honey, which can potentially save you money through promotional codes but also track price history at various retailers across the web, and Octoshop, which can quickly show you the price of a product at various retailers.
Keep in mind that these services may not work all the time. But to be able to see how much a product cost just before the sale started (and whether the MSRP happened to increase) can be very useful. Compiling these tools can help you deduce whether a transaction is worth your money.
WIRED always checks transactions to determine their quality. You can check our ongoing offer coverage to find summaries of the best discounts available – during Prime Day and throughout the year.
What is a Lightning Deal?
Lightning deals are limited time deals that Amazon offers for only a few hours each. They are not limited to Prime Day, but they are especially common during big sale events. Once an item is sold out, you may be able to join a waiting list, but not always.
Put simply, the Lightning Deals selection is often full of impulsive purchases, such as makeup and skincare products or toys. Prime members can browse for upcoming offers on Amazon’s website and in the mobile app. The app can also alert you before starting a Lightning Deal.
How do I make sure a transaction is not sold out?
It is always disappointing when an item for sale runs out of stock. If you know what time a transaction starts, make sure you pay active attention to the product page around the start time. You may also want to add an item to your cart before the sale starts, so you can refresh the page to grab it right away.
It’s smart to create an account with reputable retailers so you can store your credit card information and shipping details ahead of time. This will make the payment process as fast as possible. It’s also a good idea to clear your browser’s locker before you start shopping during sales events like Prime Day. Just make sure you sign up with those retailers again afterwards.