Attention Amazon Shoppers
Joel Elad
nternet retailer Amazon.com sells everything from
books and DVDs to groceries and auto parts, often at prices better
than you could find at local stores. But the best deals are not
always obvious. Here are 10 Amazon features that could increase
your savings...
The gold box. There’s a small gold treasure
chest pictured at the upper-right corner of the Amazon.com home
page. Click on it to see special deals, including some targeted
specifically to you based on items that you recently browsed on
Amazon but didn’t purchase. Prices on these deals typically are 5%
below Amazon standard prices.
Strategy: If there’s an item you would
like to purchase, access its Amazon product page a few times, then
after a day or two, check your gold box to see if you’ve been
offered a bigger discount. The gold box is updated daily, so you
can check back repeatedly. This works best with products that are
not high in the Amazon sales rankings, because the Web retailer
doesn’t need to offer added inducements to get its top-selling
products out the door.
Thirty-day price
protection. Amazon
often adjusts its prices, but you don’t have to wait for a
markdown to get the best deal. If the price of an item you
buy on the site is reduced by Amazon within 30 days after
your purchase, the Web retailer will refund the difference
but only upon request. Amazon doesn’t publicize this
price-protection program, nor does it notify customers when
they’re eligible for refunds. To take advantage, you must
recheck the prices of purchased items during the following
month, then e-mail or call the Amazon customer service
department to get a refund (800-201-7575, extension 7,
or www.amazon.com/help).
Friday sale. There’s a “Friday Sale” link
under “Bargains” on the menu on the left side of the Amazon home
page. Clicking on this link will lead you to some of the most
attractive markdowns -- but only on Fridays. Amazon does this to
encourage spending on the slowest shopping day of the week. Other
bargain prices are available all week through the “Outlet” and
“Today’s Deals” links on Amazon.com, also located under “Bargains”
on the home page.
Promotional codes. Amazon occasionally offers
online “coupons” featuring rebates in specific product categories.
To take advantage of one of these offers, jot down its promotional
code, then type it in when prompted to do so during checkout. You
can find Amazon promotional codes at Web sites such
as SpecialOffers.com or type “Amazon coupons”
into Google.com or another search
engine.
Amazon.com Visa card. Apply for this card
through Amazon.com, and if you are approved, you
will get a $30 credit toward your first purchase on Amazon. You
can earn additional $25 gift certificates by making purchases
with your Amazon Visa card. This is a no-annual-fee credit card
that also allows you to earn points for purchases. The
opportunity to sign up often is presented during the checkout
process.
Amazon associate. If you have a Web site -- or
are tech-savvy enough to create one -- you can sign up to be an
Amazon associate and earn commissions that are paid out to you each
quarter. All you have to do is include links to Amazon or specific
Amazon products on your Web site. When visitors to your site click
the links and make purchases on Amazon, you earn a referral
commission -- typically between 4% and 8.5% -- depending on the
kinds of links you use. Even if your site receives virtually no
traffic, you can click these links yourself and earn commissions on
your own Amazon purchases. Becoming an associate is free and
relatively simple. Visit the Amazon home page, and click the
“Associates” link under “Amazon Services” on the left-side menu to
learn more.
Third-party sellers. Products sold by Amazon often
can be purchased at lower prices from other sellers -- right
on Amazon.com. These sellers pay Amazon a
commission to market their goods. To find third-party offers,
click the link on the product’s Amazon page that states a
certain quantity is available “Used & New.” Prices on used
books, DVDs and CDs, in particular, tend to be well below Amazon
standard prices. Unfortunately, free shipping on orders over $25
does not apply to third-party purchases.
Subscribe and save. If you plan to order certain
grocery items repeatedly, you can save 15% through the “Subscribe
& Save” program. You must schedule deliveries for every one,
two, three or six months, but you can cancel at any time. The
program covers hundreds of items, ranging from cereal and vitamins
to diapers and razor blades. Select “Grocery” on the Amazon.com
left-side menu, then the “Subscribe & Save” link in the
upper-right corner.
Amazon Prime. If you shop on Amazon
frequently and usually spend less than $25 at a time, sign up for
this service to receive free second-day shipping on most Amazon
orders (not including third-party purchases). Amazon typically
offers free shipping only on certain orders over $25, and
second-day shipping almost always costs extra. The Prime program
costs $79 a year but can save you money if you shop often enough.
You can briefly avoid the fee by signing up for a free trial of
Amazon Prime. Offers to try Prime free for a month (sometimes
longer) often appear on screen when you shop on Amazon. Just
remember to opt out of the program before the free trial period
ends if you don’t want to pay.
Amazon auctions. Amazon.com launched an auction feature
in 1999 to compete with eBay, but it has had only limited
success. The relative paucity of bidders in Amazon auctions can
create wonderful bargains. It’s not uncommon to find only one
bidder for an item.
Example: I have seen good new and used
laptop computers sell for hundreds of dollars less than retail
value.