LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Amazon kicked off its Prime Day Sales event Tuesday, but before you start filling up your cart, it’s important to ask whether the deals are really worth it.
Don’t assume Prime Day deals will be the best you can find: some retailers like Target, Walmart, Kohls, and Best Buy will host their own sales events around the same time, offering big discounts on a variety of brands and products similar to what will be seen at Amazon.
Nationally-recognized savings expert Andrea Woroch has been tracking Prime Day for the past seven years.
“Target’s deal days will be held from July 11 to 13, Walmart’s for five days until the 14th, and Best Buy’s ‘Buy Bigger Event’ is likely to take place next week along with sales events from eBay, Kohls, The Home Depot, and so many other stores,” Woroch said.
It’s important to track prices and check price history because prices will fluctuate.
“Camelcamelcamel.com provides historical pricing data for products sold on Amazon to help you make a better buying decision, to help you figure out if it’s the lower price it sold for all year long,” she said.
Coupon cabin’s sidekick tool will automatically apply coupons or cashback when you shop, and Edison’s Mails Price alert will let you know if your Prime Day purchase goes on sale afterward. You’ll still have time to earn credit toward Prime Day promotions.
“If you apply for an Amazon credit card, you’re looking at getting an instant $100 to use toward Prime Day, plus five percent back on all those purchases, so if that’s a credit card you were considering getting, get it now, and use that credit,” Woroch suggested.
Also, it’s important to review return policies — just because something was sold on Amazon doesn’t mean the item qualifies for the site’s lax return policy. Many third-party sellers have stricter return options, so pay attention to who you’re buying from and review their policy so you don’t get stuck with something you don’t like.
