- Amazon’s second major sale for Prime members began Tuesday.
- A new study has shown that Amazon deals may disguise price hikes.
- Amazon claims that its prices are accurate and clear.
Amazon’s second Prime Day On Tuesday, the event was officially launchedHowever, some online retailers’ deals might not be as good as they seem. new study warns.
Amazon listings between 2016 and 2017 were analyzed by researchers who found that sellers sometimes raise prices while still displaying an unadvertised “list” price. Researchers found that there is a false impression of a deal when the difference between the list price or the lower asking price can lead to a misleading perception of the product’s value.
This price comparison will make you assume that you are getting a discounted. You didn’t receive a discount. In fact, you paid a higher price than the seller had stated the discount claim,” Jinhong Xie (a professor at the Warrington College of Business at Florida) said in a statement.
For vacuum cleaners, an example is that a list price increase was often accompanied with a 22% price rise. Seventy-five per cent of price increases were followed by a price reduction within days.
It might look something like this in the real world: Dyson vacuums are listed at $250 One day, the “List Price”, which is $300, pops up on the website with a slash through. The seller simultaneously raises the asking prices to $275. Buyers believe they are getting a bargain when in reality, the reverse is true.
Researchers observed that books saw price increases of 3% and digital cameras, blenders and drones more than 13%. Although the study is limited to 2016-2017, Insider has heard from researchers that similar price increases have been observed in recent years.
Amazon spokesperson claimed that the company “provides clear pricing information on our product pages” and that the study “doesn’t accurately reflect today’s shopping experience.” Amazon stated that list prices are based upon amounts Amazon customers have paid recently and those charged by other retailers.
However, the authors of the study cautioned that Amazon deals should not be taken at face value. Although list prices can be precise, they can also be misleading in terms of their timing.
This trap can be avoided by shoppingpers who carefully review prices before buying. Insider reported that shoppers can view the price history of a product by using online price checkers such keepa.com and camelcamelcamel.com.
