This sometimes happens when sellers have leftover inventory after big sales events. Once the main sale crowds are gone, some sellers may cut prices even further rather than pay storage fees or deal with returns to manufacturers. Think of it like a clearance sale after the clearance sale.

However, this isn't a guaranteed pattern you can rely on. If you see something you want but aren't urgent about, it might be worth checking back a few days after Prime Day or Black Friday ends, but don't count on finding better deals.

For Lightning Deals and limited-time offers, add items to your cart immediately when you see them, but don't rush to checkout right away. Amazon typically holds items in your cart for about 15 minutes during flash sales.

Here's the trick: those first few minutes often see the highest traffic and slowest processing. Wait about 3-5 minutes before checking out – this gives you time to double-check the deal and avoid the initial rush that can cause payment processing delays. Just don't wait longer than 10 minutes, or you risk losing the item.

When a Lightning Deal sells out, you can join a waitlist. Amazon releases items back to the waitlist when people's 15-minute cart timers expire or when they abandon their carts. You can't really “game” the system, but here are some tips:

Join the waitlist immediately – it's first-come, first-served. Keep the page open and refresh it occasionally. Most releases happen within the first 30 minutes after the deal “sells out” because that's when cart timers expire. Also, try joining waitlists for deals that started recently, as they're more likely to have people abandoning their carts.

This usually happens with products that have multiple sellers or slight variations (like different colors or sizes). Amazon's pricing algorithm treats each variation separately, so a blue phone case might be 30% off while the black one is only 20% off, even from the same seller.

Also, some sellers use different discount strategies – one might offer a percentage discount while another uses a dollar amount off. Always check all color/size options before buying, and look at the “Other sellers” section. You might find the exact same item for less money just by clicking around a bit.

During major sales, Amazon prioritizes showing items that are actually on sale in search results. If your wishlisted item isn't discounted, it might get buried on page 5 instead of showing up on page 1 like it normally would.

Amazon also boosts sponsored listings during sales, so paid ads take up more space. To find your saved items during sales, search by the exact product name or model number instead of generic terms. You can also go directly to your wishlist or browsing history instead of relying on search results.

This situation is tricky, and Amazon's current policy is more restrictive than many people expect. If you bought something at full price and it goes on sale while your return window is still open, Amazon typically requires you to return the original item and purchase it again at the sale price rather than providing a direct price adjustment.

Some customers report success getting gift card credits for price differences when contacting customer service, but this isn't guaranteed or part of their official policy. The safest approach is to return and rebuy if the price difference is significant enough to justify the hassle.

Look for prices that seem too good to be true – like a $200 item supposedly marked down from $800. Real red flags include: round numbers (exactly $500 “was” price), prices that are triple or more than similar items, and “was” prices that appeared just days before the sale.

If the “original” price never actually existed, you'll see it clearly in the price chart. Also, compare with other major retailers – if Amazon says something was $100 but it's $40 everywhere else, that's a red flag.

This may happen for several reasons. Some sellers might remove products to avoid having to compete with deep discounts if they can't afford to match other sellers' prices. Others may want to avoid getting overwhelmed with orders they can't fulfill quickly, since poor shipping performance during sales can hurt their seller ratings long-term.

For you as a buyer, this could mean checking back after the sale – those products sometimes return with decent discounts a week or two later when the seller is ready to handle normal order volumes.

Yes, it's completely legal, but there are some practical issues. Many international Amazon sites (like Amazon UK or Germany) ship to the US, and their sale prices can be better even after shipping costs and currency conversion.

However, you might face longer shipping times, different return policies, and potential customs fees for expensive items. Also, warranties might not be valid in your country. The easiest approach is to check Amazon Canada or Mexico first since shipping is usually faster and cheaper. For electronics, make sure they're compatible with your country's standards (voltage, cellular bands, etc.).

Deal of the Day runs for 24 hours with unlimited quantities, so you don't need to rush. Lightning Deals are limited-time (usually 4-6 hours) with limited quantities – these require quick action. Hidden deals aren't promoted on the main deals page but show up in search results or specific categories.

Lightning Deals create urgency but don't always offer the deepest discounts. Deal of the Day items often provide good value since they need to be attractive enough to last 24 hours. Hidden deals can offer good value since there's less competition, but they're harder to find. Check the “Today's Deals” page and filter by discount percentage to find these less obvious opportunities.

During sales, Amazon's recommendation system may prioritize items that are discounted or have higher profit margins. This means you might see completely different “frequently bought together” or “customers also viewed” suggestions than normal.

The potential upside is discovering deals on items you never thought to look for. The downside is that Amazon might push you toward items with bigger markups disguised as “deals.” To use this to your advantage, browse the recommendations for items you're already buying, but always double-check if those suggested items are actually good deals by comparing their sale prices to their normal prices.

Amazon may use these progress bars partly as psychological pressure, not always as precise stock indicators. Some “limited quantity” deals might have much larger quantities than they imply. You might see “45% claimed” sit there for hours without moving much.

Real limited deals usually show specific quantities like “Only 3 left in stock” and have timestamps showing when they end. If a deal just shows a percentage without specific numbers or countdown timers, it's likely not as urgent as it appears. Focus your energy on deals with clear quantity numbers and definite end times – those are more likely to actually sell out fast.

Amazon's return policy stays the same, but manufacturer warranties can be different. Some manufacturers offer shorter warranties on items sold during major sales events, especially electronics. This is usually buried in fine print.

Also, if you buy from third-party sellers during sales, their return policies might be more restrictive than Amazon's standard policy. Always check who's actually selling the item before buying. Items “Sold by Amazon” have the same return protection regardless of whether you paid full price or sale price. But items from other sellers might have different rules, especially during high-volume sale periods.

Amazon's fraud detection systems get extra sensitive during major sales because that's when most fraudulent activity happens. If you suddenly buy way more than usual, or buy from multiple new categories, their system might flag your account for review.

This could potentially lead to temporary account freezes or requests for additional verification. To reduce this risk: consider spreading large purchases across a few days instead of buying everything at once, stick to payment methods you've used before, and make sure your shipping address matches your billing address. If you do get flagged, it usually resolves within 24-48 hours, but it can be frustrating during time-sensitive sales.

Absolutely. Fake review activity spikes during major sales because that's when the most people are shopping and when bad products can make the most money before getting caught. Look for reviews that are overly positive with generic language, multiple reviews posted on the same dates, or reviews that don't mention specific product details.

Also, check if the product has a lot of reviews that suddenly appeared right before the sale started. Good tools for this include checking the review timeline on Fakespot or just scrolling through reviews to see if they feel authentic and specific rather than generic praise.