Amazon Prime Day FAIL
It was supposed to be Black Friday in July.
It wasn’t that. In fact, Amazon’s much-heralded Prime Day was almost a bust for this shopper: I clicked through “deals” that didn’t seem like deals at all.
Amazon billed Prime Day as a celebration of its Prime membership, which I’ve subscribed to for nearly four years — primarily for the discounted shipping. I’ve found my share of deals over the years, so I don’t mind the $99 annual subscription rate.
As it happens, I’m in the market for a 40-inch Samsung smart TV, and although I’m aCostco devotee, I was eager to see what deals Amazon might have. I believed that even if I didn’t find a TV, I would probably find something fun to put in my cart. So I was psyched going into Prime Day.
Then I signed in.
“See all Lightning Deals!”
Yes! Wait — what’s a “Lightning Deal”? Allow me to quote Amazon’s terms and conditions: Lightning Deals “are short-time offers of items that may be deeply discounted and of limited availability.” They’re not kidding about the “short time,” either: After you put an item in your cart, you have a small window of time to complete the transaction, then the deal expires. You better be ready to commit.
“Prime-Exclusive Deals of the Day.”
Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 77% off.
No, not committing to that.
“Available Prime-Exclusive Lightning Deals.”
Crockpot. Diaper Genie.
Not electrifying. Oh, wait! They have a chef hat for $3.93!
I think I’ll pass.
“Upcoming Prime-Exclusive Lightning Deals.”
Upcoming? Yep, upcoming. These are the deals you have to wait for with bated breath.
Available in five minutes, 33 seconds: Quilted Northern Ultra Plush Bath Tissue, 48 Double Rolls, and the Hamilton Beach Open Ease Automatic Jar Opener. Only five minutes and 26 seconds to go!
None of these items was my TV. I wanted only to view eligible electronics. After some hunting, I found a dropdown to “Sort by Category.”
First item to appear in electronics: the Amazon Echo — with this: “Deal is 100% Claimed. Join Waitlist.”
I don’t even know what this is — but I want it. Turns out it’s an audio speaker with “immersive sound” that is always “connected to the cloud so it’s always getting smarter.” That’s completely creepy, but I still want it.
“Your place on the waitlist: 500+.”
What does that mean?
“Your chance of getting this deal: poor.”
Don’t have to make me feel like a loser, Amazon!
A few more clicks through deals that were “100% claimed,” and boredom sets in.
Let’s see what Walmart’s doing.