Amazon. The entity slowly taking over our postal system, checkbooks, and lives. Why are we talking about Amazon, you ask? Every July, Amazon is known for its monumental multi-day event, Prime Day. You may be thinking, “oh yeah, that’s the day where Amazon offers a lot of deals.” While you are not wrong, you may not be truly grasping the enormous scale of the day.
This year, Prime Day falls on Monday, July 16 and it lasts for 36-hours, offering more than 1-million deals in 17 countries. So yes, a pretty big deal. To help you navigate the behemoth that is Prime Day, we have created a guide so that all your Amazon-related shopping dreams come true.
When is it?
The actual Prime Day event starts on July 16 at 3:00pm ET and ends on July 17 at 11:59pm ET. Though the event is technically beginning on Monday, “Prime Day countdown deals” are already posted on Amazon’s website.
Who can participate?
Given the name, “Prime Day,” it will come as no surprise that Prime Day is meant for Amazon Prime members. Amazon Prime members have access to all sale items on Prime Day, have two-day shipping, and enjoy many of Prime’s other features such as Prime Video and Prime Reading.
If you want to be a part of the extravaganza, sign up for Amazon’s one-month free trial and glean all the benefits. Be sure to cancel after the one month as they bill you once the month has elapsed. If you are a student, the deal is even better because they offer a free 6-month membership to any student with an .edu email address.
It is important to note, however, that some deals may be accessible without an Amazon Prime membership – it just depends on the vendor!
Tips and Tricks
Of course, no consumerist Americana event is complete without its tips and tricks. Below we have listed a few to keep in mind for Amazon Prime Day.
- Waitlists – Much of the hype with Amazon’s Prime Day surrounds their “lightening deals.” These deals typically sell out within minutes, discouraging potential buyers. What many do not know to do is click the “Join Waitlist” button to potentially buy the item if other customers decide not to buy the item or fail to purchase it within the allotted time.
- Double Check the Deals – In the fervor of Amazon Prime Day, it is important to remember that not all Amazon Prime Day deals are the best deals. In fact, many are higher or comparable to deals throughout the year. That is where the comically named CamelCamelCamel website comes handy. CamelCamelCamel tracks Amazon price histories so consumers can get the best deal possible. Simply copy and paste the product’s URL to get a full price history.
- Get Price Alerts – If you are a true fanatic, you will be keeping tabs on price drops throughout the 36-hour time period. Amazon App helps consumers do just that. Simply download and set your Price Alerts accordingly.
- Check out other stores – Other stores have recently been upping their sales around July, looking to compete with Amazon. Stores such as, “Best Buy, eBay, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Newegg and Walmart,” will all be boasting impressive sales. Be sure to cross check these sales with Amazon in order to get the best deal.
- Check Other Websites – If you are a true die-hard who wants to know about all the best deals, you can see the price history of any product using CamelCamelCamel.com to make sure you’re getting the best deal!
Early Deal Reveals
Last but not least, we wanted to let you know about some “Early Deal Revels” that Amazon has already announced to excite consumers. Of course, each of these deals has its own stipulations and terms so be sure to look up additional information before becoming too excited. These include:
- $10 credit when you spend $10 at Whole Foods
- $80 Kindle Paperwhite
- $75 Blink XT1 Camera System
- $399 The Honor View 10 (Huawei)
- $169 Honor 7X (Huawei)
What a better way to celebrate American consumerism that diving head-first into Amazon Prime Day! As Best Buy likes to say, happy “Black Friday in July!”
