YORK, Pa. — Over the next few days, there will be a lot of, "add to cart" happening for Amazon Prime members.
The company will drop tons of deals for Amazon Prime days on July 11 & 12, 2023. This year, there's something new: Invite-only deals. There are only a few, but you need to request an invite.
If you are selected to get the item, you'll get a unique link to buy it and you can only buy one.
Bridget Carey, a senior editor at CNET.com, thinks it's a way for the average buyer to get a deal. She said, "I think this is an experimental time for Amazon to see how they're going to play it out, but in the end, it's to prevent people and bots and other not-normal people buying a bunch of these TVs or whatever the item is in the one second it goes on sale and we don't get the chance to actually get the good sale item."
Typically, the best deals are on Amazon's own products. Things like fire sticks, kindles, and smart speakers.
A lot of people look for big-ticket items like other electronics, gym equipment, and clothing. Those may not always be steals.
To make sure you're getting the best deals, FOX43 Finds Out has several tools for you to check out before you check out.
1. Try Camel Camel Camel. It's a website that tracks Amazon prices over time. You have to do is copy the Amazon link for a product and you'll get a graph of what prices have looked like over the past year or so just to make sure Amazon didn't hike up the price, just to drop it on Prime days.
2. You can also get a web browser extension called Keepa. It basically does the same thing as Camel Camel Camel, but you won't have to open a new tab to get the information. Octoshop and Ibotta are also two other browser extensions you can check out. Those will gather data from other retailers to let you know if the product you're looking for is cheaper on another site.
"The thing about Amazon prime day is that it's a great time to shop anywhere because every competitor wants your attention and wants your dollars," said Carey.
Target, Walmart, Best Buy and other retailers are all offering deals to compete with Amazon. It means you can price match too.
"Everyone has different rules on how they'll honor price match, but when you're at the cashier and you're in-person somewhere, Best Buy, Target, a lot of stores will do price matching on Amazon items. Just be prepared when you're at the cashier. Have your phone ready, and show them what the item is. If it is the exact same item and you make it easy on the cashier to look it up then chances are they will honor it," said Carey.
If you have a story you want Jackie De Tore to look into, FOX43 wants to find out. Send her a message on Facebook or send an email to FOX43FindsOut@FOX43.com.