A Conversation for Ask h2g2

What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 1

Pink Paisley

On Wednesday evening, a friend e-mailed me a link to a multi-tool:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gerber-22-01471-Suspension-Multi-Plier/dp/B000EDPT9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422573740&sr=8-1&keywords=gerber+multitool

When I looked on Thursday morning, it was priced at £19 and some pence. I had another look on Thursday evening and it was now £21.92. I e-mailed him back and told him about the price rise. He e-mailed back quite quickly saying that when he had sent the link it had been priced at £28. This morning it is now £24.

Wednesday evening - £28.00 (stock =?)
Thursday morning - £19.xx (1)
Thursdy evening - £21.92 (31)
Friday morning - £24.00 (31)

What's going on? If I buy something from Amazon, is there a strategy to be employed to get the best price?

PP.


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 2

Icy North

Unless you have inside knowledge of their supply chain, it's difficult to know what to recommend.

Maybe look at a standard high-street price for the item (e.g. Argos?) and be content if Amazon sell it for 20% lower (say)? You won't get the best, but it's a benchmark.


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 3

Bluebottle

Perhaps they were thinking to themselves 'Shall we pay our tax bill? If so – how much can we get away with paying?'

Nah.

<BB<


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 4

You can call me TC

Didn't someone have a similar question to that recently? IIRC however it was about prices on e-bay spiralling up into 6 or 7 figures.


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 5

SashaQ - happysad

Amazon tax is a funny thing indeed - dunno about them as a company, but if I ever sell one of my books through them (which is highly unlikely) they'll charge me 30% tax...

Can't say I've followed the prices over several days, but I shall do that for my next purchase (DVDs for my dad) and see what I find smiley - ok


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 6

Bluebottle

I've seen quite a few items on sale there where the Blu-Ray is cheaper than the DVD.smiley - grr
I can't afford to buy a HD television and Blu-Ray player in the foreseeable future.smiley - blue

<BB<


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 7

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Amazon sells other companies' stuff as well as its own. Is it possible that the different prices were for items from different companies?


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 8

Bluebottle

Or if it is something being imported from abroad (ie, the US), do the price fluctuations reflect how the £ is doing against the US$?

<BB<


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 9

Pink Paisley

It is a 3rd party seller via Amazon. And they are USAian.

It is currently £23.64.

If it is the dollar / sterling exchange rate, there seem to be some rather large fluctuations going on.

PP.


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 10

Just Bob aka Robert Thompson, plugging my film blog cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk

I always assumed it was due to stock levels, but your figures appear to indicate otherwise. I have certainly observed quite wide fluctuations.


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 11

Pink Paisley

A penny just dropped.

In the Amazon 'marketplace', where there is more than one supplier, there is very visible competition. So where two people are selling the same thing, in order to get top listing, they will undercut the competition in a price cutting duel, until one of the sellers has no stock. At that point, there is no competition and the price rises again until the stock-less company gets new stock and it starts all over again.

I suspect that this is software driven.

PP.


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 12

Cheerful Dragon

Here's another one for you. I'm thinking of buying the complete M*A*S*H boxed set as a present for hubby. It's listed twice on Amazon. One listing gives the price as less than £40, the other is £100. Both are being sold by Amazon, the sets are the same. What is going on?


What dark goings on are going on at Amazon?

Post 13

Hoovooloo

Short answer: automated systems glitch. A lot.

For instance: you can buy my most recent book on Amazon, new, for £16.66.

There is one available used, like new, for... can you guess?









smiley - popcorn








£88.63.
Second hand. For something which, new, costs less than £17.

I've contacted the seller and they assure me it's a mistake, rather than a cunning plan. smiley - shrug


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