INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Amazon employed singer Ariana Grande to promote Prime Day
Shoppers thinking of taking part in internet giant Amazon's Prime Day are being warned that not all the items on sale could be the bargains
they seem.Consumer group Which said that the goods are often cheaper at other times of the year.However Amazon said its website was
transparent, and consumers could compare price changes over time.The 36 hour sale - aimed at subscribers to the Prime shopping service -
offers discounts on a range of goods.The deals are time-limited, with shoppers being told that some items are only available while stocks
last.The heavily-promoted offers start at midday UK time on Monday, and are co-ordinated across the globe.However, Which warned that some
goods could be bought more cheaply outside the promotion period."Although these time-limited sales events can offer great discounts, not all
offers will be as good as they seem," said Adam French, Which consumer rights editor."It can be easy to get swept along by the hype and
excitement on the day, so we recommend preparing in advance and researching what you want to buy, to make sure you can tell the difference
between a good deal and a dud on Amazon Prime Day."Image copyrightGetty ImagesWhat Amazon Prime customers say:Jonny Grant, an IT consultant
"I've been caught out," he told the TheIndianSubcontinent
"I didn't buy it, because I wouldn't want to reward them for this kind of price hike."But Greg Hine, from Edinburgh University, said he'd
found Prime Day to be fairly reasonable
I have to say Prime Day works for me."Several websites track the prices on Amazon
One, called Lovethesales.com, agreed that some so-called bargains were not all they were cracked up to be.It said a Sony Playstation was
cheaper.'Bombardment'Other consumer groups questioned whether targeted sales messages on people's mobile phones should be allowed to
continue unabated."There's so much data
Retailers can work out so much about us," said James Daley, the founder of Fairer Finance."It turns into a bombardment of high-pressure
sales messages that can lead people to make the wrong decisions
It's time for us to have a debate on whether more boundaries need to be drawn."Image copyrightGetty ImagesIn response, Amazon said
customers could see for themselves whether they were getting a bargain."One of the great things about shopping online is that customers can
quickly and easily compare prices," the company said."For many of our deals the new price and the previous Amazon price can be seen at the
product detail page so customers can make an informed decision."The launch of Amazon Prime Day is accompanied by a big marketing budget.Pop
band Take That performed at an "Unboxing Amazon Prime Day" event, while Ariane Grande opened a promotional concert in New York.Several
British newspapers and websites also provided readers with direct online links to the shopping site.Many of them stand to make a small
amount of money on each sale.
