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Amazon Prime day 7/15/15.

02camaro86

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i bought welding wire, needed it anyway, no special deal..

prime day was a gimmick, but how many of you jumped on to check the deals, saw nothing and bought something anyway? i bet alot did, bet amazon still had a WICKED sales day.
 
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SMKS

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The only thing I ended up buying was the tablet I mentioned earlier in the thread. That was one of their main deals, so it was a sizable discount.

There were a couple other good deals, but they weren't anything I wanted/needed.

It seemed like anything that was a good deal sold out really fast.

Overall, I'm not too impressed with how this turned out.
 

EdJack

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I was hearing rumors on other sites that Prime Day was to test the waters, because Amazon is thinking about a business model similar to Costco, where you have to be a paid annual member to buy anything from Costco. Basically, you would have to join Prime (or whatever the membership is called), which then gives you an account to buy from Amazon (including free shipping). Non-members would still be able to buy from third-party sellers on Amazon marketplace. But to buy from Amazon directly, you would have to be a paid member (similar business model as Costco).
 

WhiffySpark

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I was hearing rumors on other sites that Prime Day was to test the waters, because Amazon is thinking about a business model similar to Costco, where you have to be a paid annual member to buy anything from Costco. Basically, you would have to join Prime (or whatever the membership is called), which then gives you an account to buy from Amazon (including free shipping). Non-members would still be able to buy from third-party sellers on Amazon marketplace. But to buy from Amazon directly, you would have to be a paid member (similar business model as Costco).

That's basically what they do now .. Not much different
 

Rock Hound

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The only thing I ended up buying was the tablet I mentioned earlier in the thread. That was one of their main deals, so it was a sizable discount.

I was hoping they would have a discount on more of their Kindle models. My girlfriend hated that I have to have a light on to read my old original keyboard model and I was hoping to upgrade to a Paper White or Voyage. They only had the basic e-reader and the Fire (which I don't like reading on) on sale.
 

SMKS

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I was hoping they would have a discount on more of their Kindle models. My girlfriend hated that I have to have a light on to read my old original keyboard model and I was hoping to upgrade to a Paper White or Voyage. They only had the basic e-reader and the Fire (which I don't like reading on) on sale.

Same here. The Kindle discounts were lame. If there had been a good discount on the Paperwhite I would probably have bought one for my wife.
 

Spn1025

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I was hearing rumors on other sites that Prime Day was to test the waters, because Amazon is thinking about a business model similar to Costco, where you have to be a paid annual member to buy anything from Costco. Basically, you would have to join Prime (or whatever the membership is called), which then gives you an account to buy from Amazon (including free shipping). Non-members would still be able to buy from third-party sellers on Amazon marketplace. But to buy from Amazon directly, you would have to be a paid member (similar business model as Costco).

Well they would lost my business then. I won't shop anywhere that requires a membership fee. Same with Sam's Club and BJ's. There are plenty of places online to find good deals without a membership.

Some people still end up with good savings. I just don't like the principal.
 
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TS3g

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It was definitely a let down. I did pick up a 900W pure sine wave UPS for my computer for about 50% off normal retail though
 

armenakadino

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Prime Day sale was a joke. I just did my normal Amazon shopping as usual and ordered a Tekton tire gauge hopefully its a good product.
 

gustsant

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Ouch. I wonder if they met their new prime member sign-up goal with this deal.

I would be more inclined to cancel my Prime membership than to sign up judging by what they offered. Walmart didn't plan much and but offered a similar sale and was actually better than Amazon, not that it was that great either. Maybe they should have saved all that money in TV commercials and passed on the savings to us.
 
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xriderbc

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They won't have a story about how many people cancel their Prime subscription before the 30 day trial is up... that story was ready to go before Prime day even started.

In with a bang- out with a whimper. Retailers focus on ignorant shoppers who don't know what a truly good deal really is- they are the profit makers. The sheeple want to participate in shopping "events" so they don't feel left out. Fine with me- leave the real deals for the rest if us. :)
 

Digital4n6

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Somewhere at Amazon there's a marketing guy updating his resume right now...

... for a promotion.

Everyone was talking about it, most garage sale worthy items were quickly sold out, and huge increase in the number of $99 memberships. After the trial cancellations, the majority of trial users, like gym memberships, will have paid and let it go unused.

Even taking into account the negative publicity, it was still free publicity that drove people to the site to see what everyone was talking about. The weird and strange items posted by negative publicity sparked the interest of others to search for less common items for purchase.

Yeah, the items for sale majorly sucked for bargain hunters, but overall, it was an overwhelming marketing success.
 

dkroth

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Somewhere at Amazon there's a marketing guy updating his resume right now...

... for a promotion.

...

but overall, it was an overwhelming marketing success.

Yeah, your'e probably right.

Amazon is immune to the bad press. It's not like anyone is going to stop buying from Amazon just because they didn't score a deal on Prime day.
 

Spn1025

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Yeah, your'e probably right.

Amazon is immune to the bad press. It's not like anyone is going to stop buying from Amazon just because they didn't score a deal on Prime day.

You're right, but I did just recently find out about their deceptive pricing model, which I posted here earlier, about how nearly everything is shown as a sale item now with a % off their MSRP price. Their "sale" price is actually their normal selling price. I don't know how they get away with it, but a lot of states have laws against that. I know I read somewhere in one of New Hampshire's laws (maybe the Consumer Protection Act) that if a store is listing an item as a "sale price" or "new lower price", it has to actually be lower than what it was sold at up to 90 days ago. After 90 days, they can't use the words "sale" or "new lower price".

This won't stop me from shopping on Amazon, but it will make me do some investigating when I think I'm getting a "good deal" when it really isn't a deal at all.

Edit:
I'm not talking about their Prime deals or Lightning deals, i'm talking about their every day stuff. Look up any tools, such as Channellock, and you'll see that 90% of the items sold by Amazon are listed as a % off, like it's a sale, when it really isn't.
 
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JettaGetUpandGo

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You're right, but I did just recently find out about their deceptive pricing model, which I posted here earlier, about how nearly everything is shown as a sale item now with a % off their MSRP price. Their "sale" price is actually their normal selling price. I don't know how they get away with it, but a lot of states have laws against that. I know I read somewhere in one of New Hampshire's laws (maybe the Consumer Protection Act) that if a store is listing an item as a "sale price" or "new lower price", it has to actually be lower than what it was sold at up to 90 days ago. After 90 days, they can't use the words "sale" or "new lower price"..

It seems like prices vary on a daily basis, which might be their way of getting around that. I've had items in my cart go up or down multiple times a week. Sometimes it's only a few cents, other times it's a dollar or two.
 

mmack66

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You're right, but I did just recently find out about their deceptive pricing model, which I posted here earlier, about how nearly everything is shown as a sale item now with a % off their MSRP price. Their "sale" price is actually their normal selling price. I don't know how they get away with it, but a lot of states have laws against that. I know I read somewhere in one of New Hampshire's laws (maybe the Consumer Protection Act) that if a store is listing an item as a "sale price" or "new lower price", it has to actually be lower than what it was sold at up to 90 days ago. After 90 days, they can't use the words "sale" or "new lower price".

This won't stop me from shopping on Amazon, but it will make me do some investigating when I think I'm getting a "good deal" when it really isn't a deal at all.

Edit:
I'm not talking about their Prime deals or Lightning deals, i'm talking about their every day stuff. Look up any tools, such as Channellock, and you'll see that 90% of the items sold by Amazon are listed as a % off, like it's a sale, when it really isn't.

Are you talking about this?:

List Price: $64.61
Price: $28.58 & FREE Shipping on orders over $35. Details
You Save: $36.03 (56%)

They've always done that. How is that in anyway deceptive? :dunno:

Seriously? You think they are trying to fool people? Why would that stop anyone from checking prices at other places?

You do know that nearly every retailer prices items below the MSRP, or the "list price", don't you?
 

Spn1025

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Are you talking about this?:

List Price: $64.61
Price: $28.58 & FREE Shipping on orders over $35. Details
You Save: $36.03 (56%)

They've always done that. How is that in anyway deceptive? :dunno:

Seriously? You think they are trying to fool people? Why would that stop anyone from checking prices at other places?

You do know that nearly every retailer prices items below the MSRP, or the "list price", don't you?

Yes, but not every online retailer advertises 90% of their items as "sale prices". When you are listing a percent off, you are advertising it as a sale price. It's not a sale price of it is your normal selling price.
 

Spn1025

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From the FTC:

§233.1 Former price comparisons.
(a) One of the most commonly used forms of bargain advertising is to offer a reduction from the advertiser's own former price for an article. If the former price is the actual, bona fide price at which the article was offered to the public on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period of time, it provides a legitimate basis for the advertising of a price comparison. Where the former price is genuine, the bargain being advertised is a true one. If, on the other hand, the former price being advertised is not bona fide but fictitious—for example, where an artificial, inflated price was established for the purpose of enabling the subsequent offer of a large reduction—the “bargain” being advertised is a false one; the purchaser is not receiving the unusual value he expects. In such a case, the “reduced” price is, in reality, probably just the seller's regular price.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...e37658371522&mc=true&node=pt16.1.233&rgn=div5
 

alpaca

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yea that was shady

Having all items reguarly listed with "msrp" and "sale price" is one thing.

But promoting the **** out of a sale and then having **** like 85% off standing out next to these proposed super deals that were usually 75% off according to that logic is pretty shady
 

mmack66

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Yes, but not every online retailer advertises 90% of their items as "sale prices". When you are listing a percent off, you are advertising it as a sale price. It's not a sale price of it is your normal selling price.

Now you are getting it. You had me worried for a bit.
 

mmack66

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I don't really care enough to delve into FTC regulations, but showing the "for sale price" as a percentage off of the list price likely doesn't qualify as being an "on sale price."

Regardless of that, I just look at the price they are selling an item for, and shop around. Often they have the best price, but sometimes they don't.
 

djb2

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lol sometimes it's about how you word your statements.

Anyway, Harbor Freight has used this pricing model since they opened, so there must be loopholes somewhere that lets them do it


Many states have consumer protection laws that require actual sales at the claimed list price. I have no doubt that Amazon is breaking those laws. I'm pretty sure that Harbor Freight is not.

Harbor Freight actually has their items for sale at the list price for part of the time. And people buy at that price! I've been in line behind people that bought at full price, with no coupon, and then were convinced to buy the extended warranty. (Changing an otherwise-forgettable event into a frustrating 10 minute delay.)

Amazon, on the other hand, currently claims a single Stanley #2 square insert bit has a list price of $17.34, and the #3 at $18.37. Both are actually sold for under $1. A single 80 grit sanding disk is listed at $59.62, current selling price $1.19.
 

mmack66

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Many states have consumer protection laws that require actual sales at the claimed list price. I have no doubt that Amazon is breaking those laws. I'm pretty sure that Harbor Freight is not.

Please list the states that require automobile dealers to sell vehicles at sticker price.

And then list the states that don't allow retailers to have sale prices.

Amazon has been listing their items like that for years, so if they are breaking the law, nobody cares.

Believe me, if the government could make an example out of Amazon, they would.
 

LoveOldIron

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Yes, but not every online retailer advertises 90% of their items as "sale prices". When you are listing a percent off, you are advertising it as a sale price. It's not a sale price of it is your normal selling price.

Actually, that's incorrect. The list price is set by the manufacturer, and showing it, and how much you're "saving" off of it, is not the same as advertising as a sale price. If the list price is $100, and your normal price is $75, the customer is regularly saving 25% off list. Stating such, in no way indicates an item is on sale.

In order for them to be advertising sale prices, they would have to indicate that you were saving **%, or $** off of their regular price. There is a definite difference between "list" and "regular" prices, and not knowing that is what gets consumers in trouble.
Hope that made sense. It's been a long long week.
 
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