Amazon Pricing Follies

[Bruce Wrenn]

After reading the thread on Insect Bites, I looked up the Beurer BR60. My Amazon price $22.99. Last week while at the beach, friend looked it up on her phone. Her price $29.99. Earlier this week, revisited site, and price was $19.99. All three prices were from Amazon. At $19.99, ordered two, which were scheduled for delivery tomorrow (Friday,) but now have been rescheduled for delivery between Monday and Wednesday next week. Went back to Amazon today, and now my price is again $22.99. Go figure! If I had ordered just one, shipping (non Prime) was $6.99, but by ordering two, free shipping kicked in. Again, Amazon offered me a month of free Prime, which meant four day, rather than a week shipping, which didn't exactly work out.

[Larry Frank]

For more expensive items, I use CamelCamelCamel to check price history.

[Jim Koepke]

Amazon prices fluctuate, just like the stock market.

I will often check prices before buying on Amazon, then check again the next day to find a lower price.

Often another site will have a lower price, but having Prime for free shipping still makes Amazon more economical.

jtk

[David Dockstader]

I believe that Amazon uses the same algorithm to set prices that the airlines use for their ticket prices, namely a dart board about 50 feet away and a blind-folded thrower. When they actually hit the dart board, a bell rings, they take off the blindfold, and they change the price to whatever they hit. Then they put the blindfold back on and the whole things starts over. That explains both the erratic prices and the odd timing of changes. I would love to hear anyone else's ideas for the way Amazon sets their prices. :confused:

[Mike Soaper]

I sometimes see very low prices when the quantity available from amazon is very low. That, and if a price looks very low I don't put it in the shopping cart as I'm deciding to buy it or not, as that seems to trigger a price jump the next time I log in.

I've wondered if they monitor how many shopping carts an item are in (potential demand) to help determine it's price.

I also think they sometimes try to price match other sites sale prices

[Edward Weber]

Amazon prices fluctuate, just like the stock market.

I will often check prices before buying on Amazon, then check again the next day to find a lower price.

Often another site will have a lower price, but having Prime for free shipping still makes Amazon more economical.

jtk
Same here, Prime has saved me a lot over the years with the shipping fees.
I always check price+shipping on items, often Amazon wins but not always. Certain categories of items always seem to have unrealistically high prices. Plumbing comes to mind, but there are others as well.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sellers can actually fluctuate too. As one seller sells out, another at a different price can be found.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Today's price $24.99, up two bucks from yesterday's price. Five bucks more than when I ordered mine (19.99,) but still less than the $29.99 friend got when price checking last week