Common mistakes to avoid in Amazon Prime Day

The first day of Amazon starts on Monday, July 15th at midnight. In recent years, the first day of Amazon has become one of the most anticipated sales events of the year for online shoppers looking for offers – and maybe even an excuse to splurge.

And, for Amazon, the annual event is sufficiently successful that the e-commerce giant decides to double its stake this year.

Last year, Prime Day was the "most important story" for Amazon, the company said at the time. Premium members have purchased more than 100 million products and on-site sales have grown more than 400% over a typical day. This year, Amazon will look to improve these numbers with a Prime Day event that will extend for two full days for the first time on July 15th and 16th. That means 48 hours of "over a million offers" on products ranging from smart TVs to household items like paper towels, according to Amazon.

To get the most out of the sales event, here are some common mistakes to avoid when shopping on the First Day.

Yes, only Amazon subscribers can participate in all Prime Day offers, but even if you are not yet subscribed, you do not have to pay the annual fee of $ 119 to enjoy it.

First of all, new subscribers can sign up for a 30 day free trial and have access to the offers. However, if you have already used your free trial in the last 12 months, which would prevent you from getting another free trial, Andrea Woroch, a consumer savings specialist, says you can also consider to sign up for a one month subscription for $ 12.99. (or just $ 6.49 if you are still a student). But, Woroch tells CNBC Make It, do it only if you are absolutely certain that some great deals are available to make up for that one – month subscription.

"Do it only if there is an incredible offer on something you are considering buying for which the savings you make are greater than those costs," says Woroch. "If not, maybe you can ask a friend [with a Prime subscription] to buy it for you! "

And never forget to read the fine print when you sign up for either the free trial or for a one – month premium subscription. Once your trial period is over, Amazon will automatically register you in the paid subscription plan, unless you manually disable the auto-renew option before your subscription ends. evaluation or one month.

Double check to make sure your credit card, account and shipping information is up-to-date. You do not want to know that you have to update a purchase with an expired credit card if you have little time to subscribe to one of Amazon Prime Day's "limited time" special offers. .

One of the biggest challenges for online shoppers at Prime Day is that so many products will benefit from a discount – more than a million, in fact, according to Amazon – so it's important to 39 have an idea of ​​what you want to buy in advance, says Rick Broida. , CNET Online Expert and author of the blog The Cheapskate. Broida notes that the fact that Prime Day lasts two days this year should not change the way buyers prepare for the event.

"The most important advice I can give is to plan ahead," Broida told CNBC Make It. "If you are thinking of buying something, certainly expect Prime Day to know when it will go on sale.If that is the case, grab it because many items will sell quickly."

Another good way to sort through all the offers on offer is to download the Amazon app and activate the alerts, explains Broida. Amazon publishes new offers every few minutes and most are limited time offers. You will need to know exactly when an item you are already thinking of buying is on sale.

Of course, you may not have to wait to put this expensive item on sale. Broida and Woroch both point out that Amazon has already negotiated limited offers in the weeks leading up to the two-day Prime Day event. "Amazon is now offering limited offers, so waiting for Prime Day could cost us big savings," Woroch said.

For example, Amazon already sells a bundle of an Echo Dot smart speaker and Ring Doorbell Doorbell Pro for $ 169 (the price would be $ 299), and the site also offers 30% reduction on many back-to-school and university products. .

And, of course, do not forget to shop around. Amazon is not the only retailer to offer offers. Woroch points out that "Google Week" of its rival Amazon, Walmart, will run from July 8-16 and includes limited time offers on Google products. Like Walmart, other retailers, such as Target, Macy's, and eBay, have taken note of Amazon's Prime Day success and are offering their own mid-market offerings. -July in order to attract online shoppers.

Before Day One, Amazon offers many ways to save money at the event, including a $ 10 credit to use on First Day sales that you can get the first time you download and buy on the Amazon app. You can also get a $ 10 credit (on any $ 50 purchase) by signing up for the free Amazon Assistant service, a web browser plug-in that helps you search for order updates, offers, and comparisons. of products on Amazon. And you can also have $ 10 to spend on Prime Day if you spend at least $ 10 on Whole Foods (which Amazon bought in 2017) or Prime Now before July 16th.

It can be easy to get carried away in the many offers available during Prime Day, but that does not mean that you should persuade yourself to buy many products that you do not need just because they are on sale.

"The most common mistake people make is to buy things they do not need just because, well," it's the Prime Day and it was on sale! ", Says Broida to CNBC Make It.

There are different ways to avoid spending too much, including asking questions such as "Do I need this?" And, according to Broida, it's important to remember that Prime Day sales are far from the only, if not the best, deals available throughout the year. "Everything you see on sale [during Prime Day] will be on sale again for Black Friday – if not sooner, "he says.

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Guests pose during the Amazon Music Unboxing Prime Day event on July 11, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York.

Kevin Mazur | Getty Images