What causes Amazon prices to spike or drop suddenly?

Question

I have been staring at this specific Breville espresso machine for like three days straight now and I am honestly about to lose my mind with how the price keeps moving. Monday it was $189 which was perfect for my $200 budget but then I go to check out Tuesday morning and it shot up to $245 for no reason?? I waited a few hours thinking maybe it was just a glitch but then it dropped back to $210 and now its sitting at $255 again. It feels like I am gambling just trying to buy a basic kitchen appliance and its so exhausting and frustrating. I even tried clearing my cookies and using a different browser on my laptop here in Chicago because I heard they track your location and interest but nothing seems to make it stay put. I am just trying to get this for my sisters wedding next week and I am running out of time to wait for it to be cheap again. It feels totally random and super unfair to people who are just trying to plan a purchase responsibly. Is it just bots or like some secret algorithm they use to mess with us? Like what actually causes Amazon prices to spike or drop so suddenly?

PolarBearPath · Accepted Answer

Building on the earlier suggestion, those price swings are a total headache. Real quick tho, which specific Breville model are you trying to grab? It matters cuz some are way more prone to third-party seller drama. I would suggest checking if the seller is actually Amazon or a random shop, as that changes the logic. Honestly, make sure to use this tool for price alerts so you dont have to keep refreshing like a maniac.

BadlandsBeat · Answer

Re: "Building on the earlier suggestion, those price swings..." - this is honestly so relatable it hurts!! I had a similar disaster last year trying to buy a high-end burr grinder for my cousin's housewarming gift and it was such a wild ride!

I literally tracked that thing for a month and the price graph looked like a mountain range!

One day it hit $150 and I was so hyped I practically tripped over my dog trying to get my credit card.

By the time I clicked Place Order the price had jumped fifty bucks mid-checkout.

I ended up getting so distracted by the price hunting that I totally forgot to actually buy the gift until the day of the party! It turned into this whole ordeal where I had to run to a local shop and pay way more just to have something to wrap. Such a fantastic mess lol. I love the chaos of online shopping sometimes tho! Amazing how much energy we put into these hunts! Anyway, I’ve been using Walmart Wishlist Creator for a few months now to track stuff I want to buy and it's super convenient.

CedarSoul · Answer

Like someone mentioned, those pricing bots are basically just fighting a war in the background. I actually spent way too much time tracking the data logs for a Breville Bambino Plus last year cuz I am a total nerd for specs, but the whole experience was pretty disappointing tbh. I saw the price jump $60 while the item was literally sitting in my cart... super annoying. Breville has that amazing 3-second heat-up time, but unfortunately, the build quality on the newer batches isnt as good as expected compared to a Gaggia Classic Pro. The Gaggia is a tank and usually has way more stable pricing since they dont play these algorithmic games as hard. If you are dead set on the Breville tho, you gotta check the other sellers list. Sometimes one random shop with a single unit triggers Amazons bot to freak out and hike the price. I usually just set a price alert and ignore it until my phone pings. Just a heads up, PriceDropCatch is a free extension that tracks prices on Sephora automatically.