E-commerce wars: How to find the best deals on Amazon and Flipkart
Diwali is just around the corner, and with it once again a round of sales from India’s biggest e-commerce players – Flipkart and Amazon.
Over the past couple of years, their flagship sales – Amazon's Great Indian Festival and Flipkart's Big Billion Days – have only gained in momentum, and brought with them deals that have not only outdone the ones offered by brick and mortar stores but also broken their previously set standards.
Understandably, these aggressive sales have been received quite well by e-commerce shoppers who spent over $1.5 billion (Rs 11,085 crore) during the first three days of pre-Dussehra sales.
Yet, despite the big numbers on show, there is no denying that these sales can be difficult to navigate when in full swing, and with the right tools in hand, this $1.5 billion figure could have been used in a far better way by e-commerce shoppers.
So then, how do you game the system and get the best deal that you possibly could?
We explain.
Using price comparison tools
Yes, we agree that hard work is king and that there is very rarely any substitute for proper research. But why put in effort and time in sifting through hundreds of web pages just to find a good deal when easier alternatives exist?
There are a number of websites that help you find the best available price on a product online in a matter of seconds.
Better still, there even exist plugins that you can install directly in your browser and be notified of the best price of a product once you search for it. BuyHatke, Price Tracker and Invisible Hand are all plugins that, depending on your browser – usually supported by Chrome – can help you snag the best deal on a product and in the process, also save you valuable time.
For those looking specifically for the best deals on Amazon, the tech giant’s very own Amazon Assistant is also a tool that can be installed to always be in the know of any good deal on the platform. The application can send users desktop notifications about deals they are following, thus helping them get a product as soon as a lightning deal pops up — and that’s not all.
The plugin can also inform users of deals when they browse for a particular product anywhere on the web. Nosy, but helpful nonetheless.
Be wary of fake products
However, a word of caution before you finally hit the buy button.
E-commerce portals are increasingly becoming notorious for fake products sold on their platforms.
As a recent survey conducted by LocalCircles shows, “38 percent respondents out of 6,923 have been sold counterfeit products from an e-commerce site in the past one year. Among the leading e-commerce sites, 12 percent of the respondents said they received fake products on Snapdeal, 11 percent cited Amazon, and 6 percent said Flipkart.”
With counterfeit and fake products emerging as a real issue, it will be prudent for buyers to do some research before they buy a product. Reading product and seller reviews is always a good place to start (ours are the best). And when that is done, always check the returns policy on what you’re investing your hard-earned money in.