HOUSTON – Amazon’s Prime Day started at midnight. It’s like Black Friday online, but if you have ever tried to browse the deals in years past, you know it can be overwhelming.
Take two minutes to read this to help get your game plan going for today.
More on Prime Day deals
1. Members only
First things first, you can only shop Amazon’s Prime Day if you are a Prime member. It costs $119 for a year-long subscription. But don’t worry. You can sign up now for a free 30-day trial, do your shopping and then cancel before that 30 days is up.
Don’t Wait. There are deals now.
Even though Prime Day officially kicks off at midnight you can already score prime exclusive deals right now.
If you open the Amazon app or website and click on Prime Day, you’ll see some early deals. Some of the most notable we found are a 55-inch 4k Toshiba Fire TV. It’s on sale for $299.99. That is $150 off the regular price.
The Echo Auto lets you use Alexa hands-free while you’re driving is just $19.99. It’s regularly $49.99.
2. The best deals won’t pop up on your main page
You won’t necessarily see the best deals when you log into Amazon on Tuesday. Pro shopper The Deal Guy Matt Granite told us why.
“One big mistake everyone goes down to Amazon and blindly assumes the home page will have all deals. That’s absolutely not correct,” he explained. “The home page populates based on your browsing history.”
Granite said you should clear your browser or you can shop through a site that has pulled together all of the best deals, like The Deal Guy. Granite has already posted his top Prime Day picks.
If you go it alone, make note of several things. If the item you are buying is manufactured by Amazon, the listing will show exactly how much you’re saving. Check that out. The Toshiba TV is 33% off. That’s a good deal. If you’re saving less than 10%, you might want to reconsider your purchase,
3. Make sure you know who you’re buying from
The seller is listed on the product.
“Just because you see a deal on Amazon doesn’t mean you’re actually buying from Amazon,” said Granite. “Some of these merchants have their own return policies and their own shipping speeds.”
Other tips
- Amazon says as long as the item is prime-fulfilled or from Amazon directly, you have until January 31, 2021 to return it.
- If you have an Alexa, you can ask “What are your deals?” She’ll tell you some deals up to an hour earlier than what others will see online.
- When you spend $10 on Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh, you’ll get a $10 credit to use during Prime Day. You can earn up to $50.
- Don’t forget to check prices at other retailers before you buy anything on Amazon. Walmart, Target and Best Buy are all rolling out special savings this week to compete with Amazon. You may find a lower price on a product you want at one of those retailers.