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Prime Day is just around the corner. For two days in July, youâll find promotions on products from companies both big and small, all vying for your clicks and your wallet. Many of these will claim to be great deals, and that not buying the item during Prime Day will mean you miss out on some big savings. But there are a few strategies you can use to quickly figure out whether that âamazing dealâ really is all that.
One of the best things you can do to tell if a Prime Day deal is legit is to employ the use of a price tracker. These sites and tools keep tabs on the prices for any given product across the many different stores and vendors where it is sold, in order to give you the best possible price, as well as show you whether that current âdealâ really is that much lower than the original price or other deals that are out there.
A common technique to make deals look good is to pump up the price of the product: That way, when the company slashes the price for something like Prime Day, it can claim a large discount, even if the overall price tag isnât much lower than the original price (if it's lower at all). If something originally costs $60, a company can raise the price to $75, then cut it back down to $60, claiming it took 20% off. Itâs accurate, but scummy, so watch out for it.
You can use a browser extension like Keepa to watch a product's price history. But other trackers, like Honey or Capital One Shopping, can help you find prices and price histories for items across multiple stores. Their browser extensions are especially useful: If thereâs another store selling the same product youâre looking at on Amazon for less, youâll get a pop-up letting you know, with a direct link to that storeâs product page.
Knowing whether something is a good deal isnât all about getting the best price, though. Sure, Honey might have confirmed this item isnât any cheaper elsewhere on the web, but thereâs more than just the general price tag to consider.
Itâs Amazon Prime Day, after all. The company is here to sell as much inventory as it can, but itâs happiest if youâre buying Amazon products from Amazon. As such, the best tech deals are likely going to be with Amazonâs own line of gadgets. Of course, just because an Amazon product is massively on sale, doesn't make it a "good deal." If you wanted a different brand over Amazon's, or if you just want to make sure you're getting the best version of a product, make sure to compare offerings from different companies, too.
Iâm a big believer in old tech: I think we should be holding onto our devices for longer than many of us do. However, I donât think companies should sell you old tech as if it were new, especially when new tech is right around the corner.
Amazon is actually sometimes helpful here: If youâre looking at an outdated version of a product, Amazon lets you know, and gives you a link to the current version of that device. However, thatâs only true if Amazon carries that new version of the device or if thereâs a direct successor to that product. Lines are blurred these days: Last yearâs device isnât necessarily obsolete just because thereâs a new version out, so Amazon doesnât always try to sell you on the newer product.
And that can be fine! Last-generation laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and phones have their place: Tech is advancing so rapidly that it can be frugal and practical to buy older tech that still works well. But Amazon telling you to buy something that wonât be able to update to the latest software later this year isnât right. If youâre looking to buy a piece of tech on Prime Day, research is your friend. Itâs more than OK to buy something that came out last year or the year before; what matters more is making sure the product still works as it should in 2024, and if itâll last as long as youâd reasonably expect it to.
If the reason a device is such a good price is because itâs obsolete, thatâs not a good deal.
On a similar note, be wary of cheap tech that simply isnât very good. It might be affordable, but if it doesnât work well, itâs not worth the cost.
Often, this issue arrises with the many brands youâve never heard of selling items for pennies compared to other companies. Sure, you could save some money and go with these brands, but what about the long-term investment? After Amazonâs 30-day return policy is up, youâre sunk without a customer support channel, something many of these tiny companies lack themselves.
On the other hand, you might have heard of the brand, but the product itself just isnât very good. It might seem like a steal to get a giant 65-inch 4K TV for $500, but if the picture quality is poor, was that really worth it? (No.)
One way to make sure that TV is worth its steep price cut, or whether those cheap headphones are going to pass the listen test, is to read reviews for the products youâre considering buying. Iâm not talking about Amazon reviews, either: Amazonâs ratings can be helpful, but they can also be compromised. Sometimes the reviews donât even match the product theyâre supposed to be talking about, which doesnât bode well for the integrity of the review. And in the age of AI, you can never be too sure who's writing that customer review in the first place.
When it comes to tech, the best approach is to listen to the reviewers with technical experience, who put these products through their paces before issuing an opinion. An outlet like our sister site PCMag will help you figure out pretty quickly whether that TV is really worth the hype, and they show their work so you can understand how they came to their conclusions.
At the end of the day, itâs all about taking your time and doing your researchâthe opposite of Amazonâs âBUY IT NOWâ strategy. Fight the urge to buy something on impulse, and make sure your money is going toward the best possible product for your needs.
Full story here:
How to tell a good Prime Day price from a bad one
One of the best things you can do to tell if a Prime Day deal is legit is to employ the use of a price tracker. These sites and tools keep tabs on the prices for any given product across the many different stores and vendors where it is sold, in order to give you the best possible price, as well as show you whether that current âdealâ really is that much lower than the original price or other deals that are out there.
A common technique to make deals look good is to pump up the price of the product: That way, when the company slashes the price for something like Prime Day, it can claim a large discount, even if the overall price tag isnât much lower than the original price (if it's lower at all). If something originally costs $60, a company can raise the price to $75, then cut it back down to $60, claiming it took 20% off. Itâs accurate, but scummy, so watch out for it.
You can use a browser extension like Keepa to watch a product's price history. But other trackers, like Honey or Capital One Shopping, can help you find prices and price histories for items across multiple stores. Their browser extensions are especially useful: If thereâs another store selling the same product youâre looking at on Amazon for less, youâll get a pop-up letting you know, with a direct link to that storeâs product page.
Knowing whether something is a good deal isnât all about getting the best price, though. Sure, Honey might have confirmed this item isnât any cheaper elsewhere on the web, but thereâs more than just the general price tag to consider.
Amazonâs own products will have the best deals
Itâs Amazon Prime Day, after all. The company is here to sell as much inventory as it can, but itâs happiest if youâre buying Amazon products from Amazon. As such, the best tech deals are likely going to be with Amazonâs own line of gadgets. Of course, just because an Amazon product is massively on sale, doesn't make it a "good deal." If you wanted a different brand over Amazon's, or if you just want to make sure you're getting the best version of a product, make sure to compare offerings from different companies, too.
Make sure youâre not buying an old piece of tech
Iâm a big believer in old tech: I think we should be holding onto our devices for longer than many of us do. However, I donât think companies should sell you old tech as if it were new, especially when new tech is right around the corner.
Amazon is actually sometimes helpful here: If youâre looking at an outdated version of a product, Amazon lets you know, and gives you a link to the current version of that device. However, thatâs only true if Amazon carries that new version of the device or if thereâs a direct successor to that product. Lines are blurred these days: Last yearâs device isnât necessarily obsolete just because thereâs a new version out, so Amazon doesnât always try to sell you on the newer product.
And that can be fine! Last-generation laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and phones have their place: Tech is advancing so rapidly that it can be frugal and practical to buy older tech that still works well. But Amazon telling you to buy something that wonât be able to update to the latest software later this year isnât right. If youâre looking to buy a piece of tech on Prime Day, research is your friend. Itâs more than OK to buy something that came out last year or the year before; what matters more is making sure the product still works as it should in 2024, and if itâll last as long as youâd reasonably expect it to.
If the reason a device is such a good price is because itâs obsolete, thatâs not a good deal.
Not everything that is âcheapâ is good
On a similar note, be wary of cheap tech that simply isnât very good. It might be affordable, but if it doesnât work well, itâs not worth the cost.
Often, this issue arrises with the many brands youâve never heard of selling items for pennies compared to other companies. Sure, you could save some money and go with these brands, but what about the long-term investment? After Amazonâs 30-day return policy is up, youâre sunk without a customer support channel, something many of these tiny companies lack themselves.
On the other hand, you might have heard of the brand, but the product itself just isnât very good. It might seem like a steal to get a giant 65-inch 4K TV for $500, but if the picture quality is poor, was that really worth it? (No.)
Read the reviews (not on Amazon, if you can help it)
One way to make sure that TV is worth its steep price cut, or whether those cheap headphones are going to pass the listen test, is to read reviews for the products youâre considering buying. Iâm not talking about Amazon reviews, either: Amazonâs ratings can be helpful, but they can also be compromised. Sometimes the reviews donât even match the product theyâre supposed to be talking about, which doesnât bode well for the integrity of the review. And in the age of AI, you can never be too sure who's writing that customer review in the first place.
When it comes to tech, the best approach is to listen to the reviewers with technical experience, who put these products through their paces before issuing an opinion. An outlet like our sister site PCMag will help you figure out pretty quickly whether that TV is really worth the hype, and they show their work so you can understand how they came to their conclusions.
At the end of the day, itâs all about taking your time and doing your researchâthe opposite of Amazonâs âBUY IT NOWâ strategy. Fight the urge to buy something on impulse, and make sure your money is going toward the best possible product for your needs.
Full story here:
![[DK]](/data/avatars/s/57/57999.jpg?1720990206){kind=avatar}
