Amazon Black Friday deals (staring Monday 22nd November)

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to buy stuff and yes there is some garbage that they allow you to buy, but I have been ready to press the buy button on about 5 things and none have them went through. they keep saying sold out, and I was there that second the deal came on.

I think they have like 1 or 2 items for sale only to get people to the website, which I think is very poor, seen this type of advertisment before and its wrong.

And also I am sorry to say, for what hifi promoting it, I also find not that great, considering their restrictions on honest and reliable forum members who are dealers.

They are not even allowed to post deals of there shop for people to buy sale items.

 

[Garth Man]

I agree with all that you have said Clare, it's just a bit dodgy. Tickets that go on sale can be the same, at 8.59 all the tickets are sold when they are not meant to go on sale until 9. And I know that from years of buying and trading them. Seems like there may literally only be a few for most deals but hey I could be wrong

 

[hammill]

canada16:

I have been trying to buy stuff and yes there is some garbage that they allow you to buy, but I have been ready to press the buy button on about 5 things and none have them went through. they keep saying sold out, and I was there that second the deal came on.

I think they have like 1 or 2 items for sale only to get people to the website, which I think is very poor, seen this type of advertisment before and its wrong.

And also I am sorry to say, for what hifi promoting it, I also find not that great, considering their restrictions on honest and reliable forum members who are dealers.

They are not even allowed to post deals of there shop for people to buy sale items.

Two forum members (at least) have managed to get lightning deals, so I doubt that the number of items is as low as you suggest. It is a free game, which you do not have to play if you do not like the odds. I do not understand why people are so upset.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Canada16. Yes, you could click as soon as the offer comes on - but so are thousands of other people! Even with a thousand items they're going to go in an instant. Sure your reaction would be very different if - like Matenga and Hammill on this thread - you'd grabbed a bargain....

Some perspective, please - and no need to take out your displeasure on us!

We write news stories and start threads on special retail events from companies big and small - including those that do and don't post on these Forums.

 

[cram]

I've managed to get 4 items so far - it's become an office competition.

 

[Big Aura]

I think we need a "Not Deals" sub-forum.

Had my eye on a Denby cutlery set which was coming on line at noon. RRP is £59. I missed out (now sold out) on the Black Friday hot deal price of £32.50.

Luckily Denby's own website has plenty of availability ... at £29.

http://www.denby.co.uk/Cutlery/Relish-Cutlery-Set/invt/052010226

 

[Anonymous]

 

[d4v3pum4]

A lot of the savings don't look woth bothering with. The wii for £50 is the exception.

 

[staggerlee]

Agree - had a look today and not much choice. But i suppose good marketing ploy.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Interestingly, the two TVs they've had on Lightning offer so far - both Toshibas - were not flagged up in advance, so you couldn't check reviews/prices elsewhere...

With all the other Lightning Deals, it's pretty easy to search around elsewhere in advance to see if it's a) worth buying and b) what the guideline prices are.

 

[Garth Man]

hmm it can be possible to claim one of these gifts after all

I claimed this as a test

Bosch IXO Vino Cordless Lithium-Ion Screwdriver with Corkscrew Attachment

It had £10 off

It's still in my basket to confirm??? weird

 

[Clare Newsome]

It seems if you bag a deal, you have until end of that day to pay for it, or it goes (as does any cancelled/unpaid purchase) to the list of reserve buyers. All explained here....

 

[Garth Man]

ah cool, shame know I thought the Father in Law might want this

Apparently not........Aftershave again then

 

[Anonymous]

It is truly amazing, and like Clare stated, hysterical, that people assume that because they clicked the button (at the same time as goodness knows how many people) they are 'due' a 'bargain' purchase from Amazon.

So, some of the deals aren't that appealing to all of us. Well, when I walk in a shop I don't tend to find that each and every special offer is a 'wowza, that's just what I wanted' moment...

And when I go into a shop and see a sale sticker on something I don't assume that to automatically be the cheapest price out there for the said item. I won't know if it's the best deal until I shop around. I believe most people would call that being a 'savvy shopper'?

So no, I don't expect Amazon to honour my click on the £50 Wii console as much as I wish they would, and I don't expect every price to be the best out there because they didn't say it would be!

I don't expect to be due a lottery win just because I bought a ticket!

OK, it's a load of theatrics but that's retail. Corporate, capitalistically minded retail want nothing more than your money, and to get your money they need to get your attention and hell this seems to be working just fine in those terms! I mean, how many people have visited the Black Friday deals page in the past two days compared to the traffic Amazon would normally get at this time of the year? And overall, I wonder how many of those visits actually ended up in a transaction elsewhere on the site just from that visit? Probably a fair few, and a few more than Amazon would normally get in the last week of November...

Not to mention the MANY people buying things they wouldn't have even wanted nor considered except for the fact that it was a "Black Friday" deal...! More fool them I say, not Amazon!

 

[Anonymous]

I think most peoples beef is that the way the 'Sale' is being conducted is not quite what they were expecting. With the sale being reported right here as "... promising discounts of up to 50 per cent on some Sony TVs and Blu-ray players, 60 per cent off Xbox 360 consoles and daily 'Lightening Deals' plus Deals of the Week.", when all we have is the bun fight in Bloomingdales that are the 'Lightening Deals'!

Is there 'up to 50% off Sony TVs and Blu-ray players' and '60 per cent off Xbox 360s'? Er No!

True, if you want to glue yourself to Amazon's website all week, refreshing and clicking until it becomes a tic, then you may happen across one of these - although it's likely to be one of the oh so smart cryptically trailed items! And if you have your mouse finger limbered up ready to strike like North Korea you may get very lucky and bag yourself one of these mystical bargains. If you manage this, well done to you, but it's going to take the sort of montage like commitment and training 'Rocky' would be proud of.

Before anyone takes issue, no I'm not bitter (I managed to wrestle a copy of Photoshop 9 off a desperate and probably more deserving student on the other end of the interweb for a score this morning - although it did cost me a tuft of hair and a black eye!) and I wouldn't mind a cheap Sony Blu-ray player but I'm not going to sacrifice what could end up being a week of my life for it.

 

[Ravey Gravey Davy]

Do you see many complaints after the Harrods sale from people who spent the night on the trottoir going after the one stupidly priced fur coat or mega TV etc.Err no- that's life. (but you might see a few handbag fights)

Edit- faux fur- no animals were hurt in this post

 

[Anonymous]

The basic gist is, people have far too much to complain about these days.

And about the stupidest things too...

 

[Anonymous]

Granted, but they know what they're in for Ravey, that's why they queue like twelve year olds awaiting a Twilight instalment. They already know that they're in for a Pamplonan style melee, which is why they bring first aid kits, because they expected to get taken out like a Welshman playing Samoa!

Everyone there knows it's a one off opportunity, they haven't been told that it's going to be a week long sale with X, Y and Z at 50-60% discount. If those people knew that the only way they were going to get what was advertised was to stick around all week until a couple were slung out in a game of Argos roulette, then do you think as many would make the effort? I don't.

 

[Ravey Gravey Davy]

Those that spend the night on the tiles may know that The Sun Also Rises every day.Just because Amazon want to turn a bull into a groudhog day is simple marketing- fall for it as you will,but still no grounds for some of the complaints here.

 

[Anonymous]

Of course you pays your money, you takes your choice. But, if you've been led to believe that you're going to be able to spend your money one way and then it turns out that's not really going to be the case then I think it's not unreasonable to grumble.

It's not exactly indefensibly, it's canny marketing that has drawn, no doubt, huge traffic to Amazon and many extra 'regular' sales. I'm just slightly surprised by how vehemently some people have support Amazon's slightly cynical strategy.

I don't mind shopping by fruit machine, in fact it's quite fun - frustrating but fun - and like I said it won me a copy of Photoshop but it's not what I was led to expect that's all.

Oh and if Sony Blu-ray players due suddenly drop to half price then pipe up and let me know, it's just I'm not gonna sit affixed to my laptop until a lone one does only to be mugged for it!

 

[visionary]

Two adages spring to mind:

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

There's no such thing as bad publicity.- If their site traffic is up sufficiently, they will make more sales.

I've seen a few posters saying "it was cheaper on Play" and yet last week Play was getting lambasted for poor customer service

and Amazon being praised for theirs.

 

[Anonymous]

At least with Play's 'Monday Madness' deals you know what the score is.

Play's "Look, here's some cheap stuff. Have a browse and if anything takes your fancy have one" approach is a much more upfront and honest way of conducting things.

 

[Garth Man]

Sony BDP 370 for £59!!!!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Garth Man:

Sony BDP 370 for £59!!!!

Are you telling us you bagged a bargain Garth Man?

Or did you just see the deal?

 

[Garth Man]

I just missed out, was in the queue gel but was unlucky