Amazon Prime Deal Days 2024: All tips on the offers and discounts

In recent years, the Prime Day event has become one of the biggest shopping highlights worldwide. Amazon also reported new records for the July 2024 edition, but remained without exact figures. Analysts estimate that around $14.2 billion worth of goods were sold in the United States alone, an increase of about 11 percent. Similar high increases are also expected worldwide.

“Promotion days like this are very popular in Austria, similar to discount stamps in the supermarket,” explains Thorsten Behrens, project manager of the Watchlist Internet. But the time pressure that these offers create poses the risk that consumers will make ill-advised purchases.

No hasty decisions

The most important tip therefore remains: Don’t make hasty decisions and compare prices. Platforms like Geizhals and Idealo not only offer current prices, but also the history of the last few weeks. Browser extensions like Keepa offer similar functions to track price developments.

Take a close look at what the discount applies to

Although artificially inflating prices before discount promotions is illegal, it happens all the time. According to the EU Modernization Regulation, discounts must be stated in comparison to the cheapest price of the last 30 days. Behrens explains: “That should be the case, but in practice it is very difficult to track.” Buyers should therefore look closely to see whether the discount really refers to the low price or whether the original manufacturer price serves as a comparison.

Additional pressure through lightning offers

Lightning deals create additional pressure because they are limited in time and often only a few items appear available. “You should definitely not allow yourself to be stressed by countdowns and supposedly limited quantities,” says Elisabeth Barth, lawyer at the Association for Consumer Information. It is often not clear whether there are actually only a few copies available or whether larger stocks are being offered.

Good bargain

Despite these risks, you can get good bargains on Prime Day. Geizhals.at compared the prices of the 10,000 most popular products at Prime Day 2023 with the prices of the previous week. There were particularly big discounts

• Surveillance cameras (-32%),

• electric shaver (-27%),

• Monoblock air conditioners (-23%).

• Smart home sensors and child seats (-21%)

• Notebooks, headphones and monitors (-13% and -16%).

Amazon products such as the Fire Tablet (-38%), the Fire TV Stick (-33%) or Echo speakers (-22%) are traditionally heavily discounted on Prime Day. It’s worth buying such items specifically on special days like Prime Day or Black Friday.

Most popular products

Amazon has published a list of the 10 most popular products during the July Prime Days in Germany and Austria. These included items such as the AVM FRITZ!Repeater 1200 AX, the Ninja Foodi MAX hot air fryer and the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4500.

Warning: hidden subscription trap

However, you should watch out for hidden subscription traps when shopping on Prime Day. To take advantage of the discounts, you need an Amazon Prime subscription, which usually starts with a 30-day free trial period. “If you forget to cancel your subscription, you will end up paying more than if you had bought somewhere else,” warned Behrens. A handy tip: Family members in the same household can share a Prime subscription without each needing their own subscription.

Return policy

You should also pay attention to the right of return. Amazon offers a voluntary 30-day return guarantee, but the company itself determines the conditions under which the goods will be taken back. “For example, Amazon may require that a product be in its original packaging if it is returned after more than two weeks.” This guarantee does not apply to certain categories such as electronics or video games. It is safer to use the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal, where the goods can be returned without giving reasons. However, there are exceptions here too, such as personalized products or certain hygiene items.

Be careful with discounts that are too good

Despite big discounts, if an offer seems too good, you should be particularly careful.

• A first indication of the quality of a product are reviews on Amazon. “Fake or purchased reviews are still a problem, but many positive reviews can at least be an indication that the product is good,” says Behrens.

• It is advisable to read the reviews carefully, especially if you have specific requirements. Amazon even offers a keyword search in the reviews to specifically search for specific aspects.

• Be careful with a trick that some sellers use. Just before discount promotions, they change the description, images or title of a product (Product A) and instead sell a worse product (Product B) that inherits Product A’s reviews. Therefore, you should always check the review texts and product photos carefully.

• Last but not least, criminals also exploit such events to deceive unsuspecting buyers. In June alone, over 1,000 new Internet domains linked to Prime Day and potentially harmful were registered. Check Point, a security provider, classified 85% of these domains as malicious or suspicious. Fake Amazon websites attempt to steal login credentials and payment information.

• There is also an increasing number of phishing emails that claim to come from Amazon or parcel services. They ask you to enter personal data or block you with unrealistic offers. Anyone who clicks on the links in such messages runs the risk of accessing fake sites or downloading malware.

• Fraudsters also use the telephone to pretend to be Amazon employees in order to obtain personal information. They fake problems with deliveries or hacker attacks on the account. In such cases you should not reveal any data and end the conversation.

Anyone who has encountered such a scam should immediately change their passwords and contact the bank or credit card company. If financial damage has already occurred, it is advisable to report it to the police.