Advice on Amazon Lightning Deals

[Nat1128]

I'm not knocking Amazon at all, I love it. I'm a Prime member and besides the grocery store it's where I spend most of my discretionary income. However, before purchasing any lightning deal I take advantage of the 15 minute window to do two things:

 

 

#1 I go to the item page itself just to make sure there isn't another option/color that isn't even cheaper or more of a preference  than the one offered on the lightning deal. This is an example I just came across and was the catalyst for this thread:

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050JQQOU/ref=gb1h_tit_c-2_6282_04897946?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=center-new-2&pf_rd_r=15FHN4SBPJYXEKQRD4GT&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=1980506282

 

You'll see the red option is the "lightning deal" but if you click on the blue option it's like a dollar less, but you would never know that if you didn't go to the product's page.

 

 

#2 I google the item to see if the lighting deal price is, in fact actually a "deal". I considered getting this for my husband, but then when I googled I saw they had it at a few stores for the same price as the "Lightning Deal" of $69. The main page says $89, but if you are reading this very soon after I post it you might still be able to find it listed in the deals.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JB8OW42/ref=gb1h_tit_c-2_6282_8766605a?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_s=center-new-2&pf_rd_r=1S3SES6S4ZPSP0W80287&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_p=1980506282

 

I'm sure others have mentioned these issues before, but I felt they were worth bring up again. I hate to see people spend money thinking they are getting a deal when they aren't

Edited November 27, 2014 by Nat112875

[kimmie1970]

Thank you for sharing!   
I think I want that bookshelf.  I am a teacher and it would go great in my classroom...but I am too cheap to buy it right now

Thank you for taking the time to share!

[irisbee]

You can also check camelcamelcamel.com to see how low amazon has sold it for in the past. 

[Nat1128]

Now today the blue shelf is $122 and the red one is $167.

[cllehto]

When I see an upcoming gold box deal I'm interested in, I check the price. Often the gold box price will be higher than it was before the gold box deal started.