Amazon adding to price when logged in - maybe just for Prime Members

Tangiers

A few years ago, I remember hearing on Radio Four's You and Yours that Amazon were effectively using 'money on vouchers' which basically meant that if their algorithms detected that you might be interested in certain products, they would bump the cost up. They said that they had made an error of judgement and they would stop.

Well, I had been searching on another computer for certain DIY things, one of which was a cordless Parkside rotary tool - the price was £36.50. I actually found them cheaper on eBay but bought something else and as I went to pay for it was offered a month's free Prime membership, which I accepted only so that I could get the item I wanted tomorrow.

Sitting at another computer, I wondered if there might me a discount for Prime members on the cordless Parkside rotary tool and was surprised to find that it had actually gone up (£39.95). Just to check, I logged out again and repeated the search and sure enough, it was £36.50! I logged back in and the price went up again. Not only that but logged in, it said there were only two in stock and logged out it said that there were eleven - thus adding a little extra pressure to buy now before the stock ran out. It might be suggested that the two items were perhaps different items in the Amazon inventory but in each case, they are the only instance of the item in the search, so this is not the case.

It might be worth logging out when shopping on Amazon to compare prices - if it is cheaper logged out, if added to your basket, the price should remain the same when you then log in. I've enclosed screenshots, top logged out, bottom logged in..

cymruchris

One is Amazon Prime supplied by Amazon (so shows you the Amazon prime price when logged in) - and shows a warning that you can get it cheaper without Prime (If you don't mind waiting):





And then when not logged in - you see the non-prime price supplied by a third party directly (It doesn't show the Prime price - as there's no Prime membership):



That's why you're seeing two different prices. No conspiracy theory. No price fixing. Just one comes from Amazon - and one comes from a third party.

Tangiers

I hear what you are saying but the other options do not appear in the search and the fact that I didn't notice the text you pointed out kind of shows that it was not meant to be eye-catching.

I only ever use Prime when I get it as a free trial - I don't shop on Amazon often enough nor usually need stuff urgently nor have any need or desire for any of the other services it includes but as a non-Prime user, I would have thought that paying £7.99 per month might guarantee members the best price.

Incidentally, I just tried copying the whole and exact URL (along with all the ?s and &s) of the item when logged in with Prime in one browser and pasted it into a different browser where I was not logged in - it is the exact same item except one is £3.45 more than the other.

Anyway, Amazon is the last place I want to shop, I just wanted to share my experience. I bought the thing from an eBay seller for £26.99 - almost a tenner cheaper.

jon81uk

Tangiers said:

I only ever use Prime when I get it as a free trial - I don't shop on Amazon often enough nor usually need stuff urgently nor have any need or desire for any of the other services it includes but as a non-Prime user, I would have thought that paying £7.99 per month might guarantee members the best price.

Prime has never suggested that it offers the best price, just free fast delivery.
Amazon operates a marketplace (like eBay) and offers items sold both direct from Amazon and from third-party sellers. Sometimes items from third-party sellers are stored in Amazons warehouse and shipped by them (this is fulfiulled by Amazon) and then Prime delivery applies.

sheramber

just logged in

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parkside-Cordless-polishing-Engraving-attachments/dp/B09KT8C1BN/ref=sr_1_5?adgrpid=106865232936&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhLKUBhDiARIsAMaTLnEzNDyVB6lWE7bxMMQt4AWEmjHNqDjqYQvuG4MzLSc2KOdB5RnK3NEaAl3HEALw_wcB&hvadid=455862005513&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1007326&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11249695993218888395&hvtargid=kwd-623367588694&hydadcr=1344_1915516&keywords=parkside+cordless+rotary+tool&qid=1653404667&sr=8-5

Parkside 12V Cordless Rotary Tool Multi Grinder for Drilling, milling, Grinding, polishing, Cleaning, Cutting and Engraving with 44 attachments

5.0 out of 5 stars 1

£36.95   ( £39.69 scored out)

 FREE delivery by Thursday, May 26

Only 2 left in stock.

More buying choices
£29.99(7 new offers)

Tangiers

@sheramber
It must be a Prime thing, then.

@jon81uk
That is contradicted by what happened when I copied and pasted the complete URL from one logged in browser to another logged out browser - it is the exact same inventory item.

Anyway, I don't really care anymore. I have had my learning experience and I know now that I need to log out to check that I am not paying more than I need to. If other people do likewise after having read this, great. If not, that's fine too.

Sandtree

Its not that you need to log out but that you need to check what other sellers are offering the item for... some may want to pay more for the benefit of faster delivery or the security of buying from Amazon rather than some unknown seller. Likewise some may be happy buying from some third party's they've heard of but not random companies. 

Likewise there may be sellers of a secondhand "nearly new" option that is cheaper still and for some items you may be happy saving a couple of quid for a secondhand item.

More a case of learning how the site works when there are multiple sellers.

k3lvc

Sandtree said:

Its not that you need to log out but that you need to check what other sellers are offering the item for... some may want to pay more for the benefit of faster delivery or the security of buying from Amazon rather than some unknown seller. Likewise some may be happy buying from some third party's they've heard of but not random companies. 

Likewise there may be sellers of a secondhand "nearly new" option that is cheaper still and for some items you may be happy saving a couple of quid for a secondhand item.

More a case of learning how the site works when there are multiple sellers.

But the conspiracy theory is far more interesting

Tangiers

Sandtree said:

Its not that you need to log out but that you need to check what other sellers are offering the item for... some may want to pay more for the benefit of faster delivery or the security of buying from Amazon rather than some unknown seller. Likewise some may be happy buying from some third party's they've heard of but not random companies. 

Likewise there may be sellers of a secondhand "nearly new" option that is cheaper still and for some items you may be happy saving a couple of quid for a secondhand item.

More a case of learning how the site works when there are multiple sellers.

As I have mentioned twice now, I copied the exact URL of the item with all the ?s and &s from a logged in (with Prime membership, albeit trial) browser and pasted it into a logged out browser, so what you are saying is wrong. Sorry. It was not a third party seller, nor was it second hand or refurbished, all of which would have had different information in the URL. I'm not talking about the search URL now but the actual item.

@k3lvc
Yeah, very funny. If you were around ten or so years ago and listened to You and Yours, you would know that Amazon admitted to doing this.

jon81uk

Tangiers said:

@sheramber
It must be a Prime thing, then.

@jon81uk
That is contradicted by what happened when I copied and pasted the complete URL from one logged in browser to another logged out browser - it is the exact same inventory item.

Anyway, I don't really care anymore. I have had my learning experience and I know now that I need to log out to check that I am not paying more than I need to. If other people do likewise after having read this, great. If not, that's fine too.

The same inventory item can be sold by more than one seller.

cymruchris

It shows it on the same screen when you're logged into Prime - I've put a red box around it - It says 'New (7) from £29.99 + £5.10 delivery' - that means there are 7 different listings for this same product from different suppliers. It even outlines them. You're just seeing a problem that isn't there by not looking at what's on your screen and trying to say that non-Prime get it cheaper. As it happens, it's come down in price on Prime to pretty much what the third party seller has it up for and quicker delivery. I prefer to buy from 'Supplied by Amazon' as returns are easier. You just need to understand a bit more how Amazon operate, and there's enough explanation going on in this thread that should allow that.