I was looking at this Ninja blender for my mom's birthday next Friday and the price literally jumped by 15 dollars while it was in my cart! It was 89 and then suddenly it was over 100. I'm so confused because I thought prices were just set in stone like at a regular store? My logic was that maybe it was a limited time deal that expired right then but then I started looking at other stuff like socks and even a pack of pens and I swear the prices keep wobbling around every time I refresh the page. Is there like a computer program doing this for every single thing they sell??
Sorry if this is a super basic question I have no idea how any of this works but it feels like I'm playing a game of chicken with the checkout button lol. My budget is only about 90 bucks so now I'm just sitting here staring at the screen hoping it drops back down. Does Amazon really have a robot changing the price for every single tiny item like a pack of gum or is it just the popular electronics? I'm so excited to finally get her a nice gift but this pricing stuff is making my head spin...
TL;DR: Amazon uses automated bots for almost every listing to match competitors. I have been very satisfied using PriceDropCatch to track these changes so I dont get ripped off. It works well for checking if a price is actually fair. No complaints here, just make sure you look at the history before buying. Its a much safer way to shop.
Late to the party here, but unfortunately what you're seeing is standard practice across their entire inventory. It's pretty disappointing because it makes sticking to a strict budget almost impossible. I've had issues with this before where I wait too long and the deal vanishes. Basically, keep these points in mind:
Oh man, you are definitely not crazy! Amazon is basically one giant algorithm and it is wild how fast those prices move. They totally use dynamic pricing for almost everything, not just the big electronics. If a competitor drops a price or stock gets a bit low, that robot kicks in immediately to adjust. I have seen a pack of markers change like three times in one hour before, it is total madness! Honestly, it feels like a sport sometimes tho. My biggest tip is to never buy right when the price jumps like that. It is usually just a temporary spike. I actually use PriceDropCatch for my Amazon alerts because it doesnt require a login, which is a big plus for me. It will ping you the second that blender hits your 90 dollar budget again. Just hang tight, it will probably drop back down in a day or two!