One of the best places to find a deal online is Amazon. However, not everything is the bargain it appears to be. Just as in the offline world, doing a little research pays.
Check out these tips to ensure you’re getting a great deal while navigating the virtual aisles at Amazon:
1. Shop the bargain bins
Look for what you want in the bargain bins, found through a link named “Today’s Deals” at the top of every Amazon page. On the Today’s Deals landing page, you’ll find the Best Deals section loaded with bargains in every category, the Lightning Deals section with time-sensitive sales—lasting four hours or until the item is sold out—on products from a specific category like automotive or electronics, and a Deal of the Day discount of up to 75% off a single item that changes daily.
On Fridays, find one-day discounts on even more products by clicking on the Friday Sale link at the top of the Today’s Deal’s page, where it’s adjacent to two more links worth using: those to Amazon’s Outlet Center and Warehouse Deals pages.
2. Use a price checker browser plug-in
Don’t assume that any of Amazon’s prices are the lowest available anywhere, especially if the seller is a third-party store. We’ve seen stores on Amazon sell products for as much as twice the retail price, often for products that are outdated or even obsolete.
Check other retailers’ prices and prices at specialty websites—Best Buy for electronics or Home Depot for tools, for example. If it is a hard-to-find item and you really MUST have it at any price, go ahead—at least you’re making an educated choice. Using a browser plug-in like InvisibleHand (for Firefox and Chrome) can make this process easy. When you’re browsing on Amazon, the plug-in will display a notification pop up with the price and location of the better deal if it knows of one.
3. Check the suggested retail price
Know what the real suggested retail price is of the product. Whether by design or error, it’s not that unusual to see inflated retail pricing so your discount appears higher than it actually is.
See the Factories Where Amazon Can Move 426 Items a Second
4. Use a price tracking browser plug-in
If you find an item at Amazon and you’re hoping the price will fall later, consider using the CamelCamelCamel plugin for Firefox, Safari and Chrome. Once installed, you’ll see a graph showing the Amazon price history, if it’s available. You can also sign up to receive email alerts if the price drops below a level.
5. Check out the seller
Look carefully at who is selling and who is shipping the item you want. An item may be shipped by Amazon on behalf of another seller with a returns or exchange policy that is different from Amazon’s—and not to your liking. Items that are both sold and shipped by Amazon will be tagged as eligible for “Super Saver Shipping” or for free shipping via “Amazon Prime” (a pre-paid premium membership plan).
And check out a seller’s feedback rating before buying. If the seller has very few reviews or a satisfaction rating less than 90%, you may want to take your business elsewhere.
6. Use Super Saver Shipping
Super Saver shipping is available only if the total value of everything you’re buying at once is $35 or more—but being just shy of that minimum can push the cost with shipping charges past the price of the item elsewhere. In this case, check out Filler Item Finder. This site suggest items on Amazon priced at exactly the amount you need—or slightly higher—to bring your order to $35. You can sort your results by category, including books, music, groceries and more.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com