Amazon is best known to shoppers for its easy convenience and low prices, with many people taking advantage of an Amazon Prime subscription to get next-day delivery.
But, with so many products on offer on the site, it can be tricky to know how to get the best deal.
These are some handy tips and tricks to know so you can get the most bang for your buck, whether you have a Prime subscription or not. Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk has shared his guide to Amazon.
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Check Amazon's foreign websites
Amazon's websites in the USA and Europe might have the same products as the UK site for a lower price, including the delivery! Tools such as Hagglezon, Trycross, and MaxSpar compare products across the different countries.
Tom said: "I found an LG 43” TV that was £711 in UK, but £334 in Germany’s store, saving £377. You can login to different country stores with your same Amazon login details - but of course, delivery times will be longer and you have to make sure any increased cost still results in a saving.
"Amazon normally includes any taxes required, but on big items you may need to pay some import duties - the delivery company will let you know."
Use Amazon's price match feature
Tom said: "Not many people know this but at the bottom of every Amazon page, there is a tiny link that reads ‘Would you like to tell us about a lower price?’ By clicking on it and sharing the link where you found a lower price, Amazon may drop their price to match or beat it within a few days.
"This is a great tip for Prime members to save on delivery costs that other companies may charge."
Look for opportunities to stack deals
Sometimes Amazon's Lightning Deals (time-limited offers) have coupons and vouchers that you can stack on top. Sometimes sellers use both promotion techniques at the same time to drive sales, which can lead to massive savings for you. You'll also save money just by looking out for Lightning Deal when you're shopping.
Tom said: "For example, you might find an Oral-B electric toothbrush down from £30 to £20 as a Lightning Deal. But, scan the page and there could be an extra voucher giving you an additional £5 off, making the final price £15.
"This is called a ‘Deal Stack’. There are no tools that can find these kinds of deals, just real Deal Hunters working hard together. You can find the latest Deal Stacks here."
Use Amazon's barcode scanner in other shops
When you download the Amazon app, you can use the barcode scanner in the search box to scan items you find in other shops. This will bring them up on the Amazon website, so you can check if you could get a lower price online.
Tom said: "Before you rush to buy it online, note that high street shops such as Next, Holland and Barrett, and Halfords might price match. So show a shopping assistant that you found it cheaper online and ask them to price match.
"If they do, great, if they don’t, you found it cheaper online."
Use the Amazon Gift Finder tool
The simplest tool for people to get started with is Amazon’s own Gift Finder tool. You can use the price filter to adjust accordingly, depending on how much you want to spend. The lowest option is gifts under £10, and you can even select to filter gifts which are deals, or those that come with gift wrap.
Tom said: "Recently, I picked up wireless earphones for £4.99. Plus, if you want an item with gift options, you can add a free gift message or a gift bag or box for a couple of pounds."
Check if you're eligible for Amazon Business
Like Costco or Bookers, Amazon have a separate business website with different deals available to business-owners or people who are self-employed.
Tom said: "Often there are the same products as normal Amazon, but with different deals. So if you’re self-employed, have a business, or could do it through someone else, it’s worth a rummage."
Have a look at the Amazon Warehouse Deals
Amazon Warehouse can often have offers of up to 50% on different products. All the products available there have been returned by other Amazon shoppers for various reasons, so they have been used and might have damaged packaging, but they'll all have been tested by Amazon to make sure they're fully functional.
Tom said: "Members of LatestDeals.co.uk really enjoy Amazon Warehouse deals during Black Friday, where you can get up to 30% off on top of the already reduced warehouse prices. However, it might be best to avoid buying returned jigsaw puzzles from the Amazon Warehouse. You never know if they’re missing a piece or two!"
Have a look on Amazon Outlet
Amazon Outlet is where you can sort through overstocked items that are available at reduced prices. Tom said: "Select the category you want to explore and use filters like price, discount percentage, and Prime Delivery availability to find the best bargains.
"Don’t miss the Overstock Deals section for even bigger savings. I find this particularly good for buying baby clothes for my son."
Save money using Amazon Renewed
Keeping up with the latest technology on a budget is easy with Amazon Renewed. These professionally inspected and tested products work and look like new and come with a one-year Amazon Renewed Guarantee.
Tom said: "Choose from a wide range of items including laptops, smartphones, computers, tablets, and kitchen appliances. However, it’s still worth searching other sites such as MusicMagpie and BlackMarket to see if you can find cheaper refurbished prices."
Save on delivery by using Click and Collect
Tom said: "If you don’t have Prime and you’re well under the £25 minimum spend for free delivery, fear not. There are thousands of items where you may be eligible to get free click and collect at an Amazon Locker.
"These are located in thousands of gyms, petrol stations, Morrisons, and Post Offices. Have a look at the delivery options at checkout."
Use price history graphs
Tools like Idealo, Keepa, and CamelCamelCamel, can help you track the price history of products and determine if the price you're seeing online is a good one or not. CamelCamelCamel and Keepa also both have a feature that allows you to track the price of items so you can receive a notification when it drops and get the best deal.
Tom said: "Sellers on Amazon often use sneaky pricing strategies such as the “YO-YO'' where it goes up and down every week. Price history graphs empower you to buy on the lows and avoid the highs. Don’t forget to compare prices with Idealo which has a wide range of retailers."
Try Amazon's Subscribe and Save to save money and time
You can use the Subscribe and Save programme to set up automatic deliveries for things like baby wipes and other items you regularly buy.
Tom said: "[With Subscribe and Save you can] enjoy discounts on each delivery and free shipping. It’s a convenient option for those looking to save both time and money. I use this for baby wipes and coffee capsules."
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