Prime member Megan Allen uses Prime Day to stock up on home goods.
“I usually buy things for around the house, items for decorating, pillowcases and things like that. It’s a good deal,” she said.
Where to expect the best deals
Aside from home goods, Consumer Reports says shoppers may expect big markdowns on Amazon devices like Echos, Ring doorbells, and Amazon Fire TVs. Based on prior years, CR also expects discounts on smartwatches, robot vacuums and Instant Pots.
But don’t start hunting for deals just yet: Amazon does not announce the deals in advance, and deals change every hour so you have to check back frequently. You must be an Amazon Prime member to participate.
Other retailers such Walmart and Target know Prime Day is here and they are battling for your business by offering their own great deals at the exact same time.
PCMag’s Chandra Steele says if you have a particular product in mind, shop around: Don’t assume it will be cheapest on Amazon.
“You can look at Target, you can look at Walmart,” she said. If you do your shopping this way, it’s easy to compare prices and you may find an even better deal.
Watch out for scammers
Steele, however, warns you to be wary of fake Prime day ads, especially on social media.
“Don’t click directly from something else because it could be a phishing link,” she cautioned. “It could be a deal that doesn’t really exist.”
Also, she says, be on alert for fake reviews. Steele says short, generalized comments could be a ploy to get you to buy.
“Maybe the review is something overly complimentary,” she said, which could mean it is a shill review.
Lastly, Steele says to keep your deliveries safe from porch pirates by choosing an “Amazon Day” when you order, so it all arrives at once, instead of spreading it out over several different days.
“They’ll try to ship everything to you on that day,” she said, “so you can guarantee that you or someone else will be home on that day.”
But if you are at work all week, or away on July vacation, you may want to have your items sent to an Amazon locker or pickup counter near you, so that way, you don’t waste your money.
WCPO is a content partner of Cox First Media.
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