Can't wait till Amazon Prime Day? The big shopping event of the summer will take place on the 21st and 22nd June.With thousands of discounts storewide, Prime members saved a reported £950 million on last year’s event alone, and now is the time to prep for this year's bonanza of deals.
- These are the best Amazon Prime Day 2021 home deals live right now – the sale has already started on some products.
But are you a wise shopper where it comes to Amazon sales events? Price comparison site idealo.co.uk has joined forces with Britain’s Coupon Kid Jordon Cox to iron out the common mistakes people make on Amazon Prime Day, after new data revealed one in six shoppers spent frivolously during the pandemic and 82 per cent admitted they spontaneously spent in a flash sale last year. These are the money experts' top tips for doing your Amazon sales shopping right – and not end up overwhelmed by buyer's regret.
1. Only buy what you need
Easily said than done, we know. In the weeks leading up to 2020’s Prime Day, Amazon spent 45% of its advertising budget to showcase the event, making it impossible to avoid. It’s easy to get wrapped up in a sale, especially when it’s so heavily in the public eye. Try to shop only if you specifically need something, rather than spontaneously spending without thought.
By far the best way to make sure you're actually saving money is to buy a big-ticket item you've been eyeing up for a long time and would've bought anyway (think the best mattress for your bedroom, for example). Jordon Cox added: 'Whether you’re buying a present for someone or there’s something you desperately need - make sure you write a list of those items and stick to it.'
2. Don't shop too early
Nearly half of Brits (44 per cent) confess to not price comparing when purchasing, which means they could be overspending where they don’t need to. Use price history tools to see when the cheapest time to buy a specific item is to avoid paying more than necessary.
For example, the average price of a TV was £994 on Amazon Prime Day last year, but on Black Friday the average price was £937, which is a total difference of almost £60. It literally pays to know which sales even offer the biggest discounts on the best TV – or whichever item you've been dreaming about.
Jordon comments: 'Doing price comparisons before you buy ANYTHING online is essential - you need to make sure it’s the cheapest place to buy it. Plus, if you have the tool to see the historical price, then you can tell if it’s the cheapest right now. Historically, the cheapest times to buy popular items and gadgets are Prime Day and Black Friday - but always double check.'
3. If you can't afford it, don't buy it
Again, sounds so simple, but these days, there are more incentives to overspend than ever. With 'buy now, pay later' schemes and credit cards, shopping has never been easier. Try to buy items whilst in credit and consider your monthly budget to avoid building up debt. Having different buying options gives the illusion of having the cash, but in reality, the money isn’t there to be spent.
Jordon has a good tips for preventing going into debt on Prime Day: 'If a birthday or special occasion is coming up, asking for an Amazon gift card could be a good option to help cut down the cost if there’s something you need.'
4. Make sure you're not being scammed
Last year, new Amazon spam, phishing and fraudulent sites surged 2.5 times days before the event, which was the biggest uprise since the pandemic started. Cyber criminals took advantage of the sales event, so to be extra-cautious, always stick to official URLs, rather than clicking banners or ads. Jordon cautions that 'lots of Prime Day emails will be sent around the event. Be wary of these by always by checking who they came from. If it looks dodgy in any way, delete it and go to Amazon’s official website for the correct information.'
Forewarned is forearmed, so go into the sales battle fully prepared and with a healthy mindset – buy only what you need, stick to your budget, and don't get sidetracked from what you meant to buy in the first place.
