How To Find The Best Deals On Amazon

Amazon delivery and return — Amazon's "hush-hush" online store where sells returned items for a fraction of the original retail price.
James Martin/CNET

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have come and gone, vacation season shopping is ramping up. There are only a couple more shopping weekends left until Christmas andholiday shipping deadlines are approaching fast, so to help you shop, we're sharing our favorite subconscious Amazon trick that has routinely gotten united states of america upward to seventy% off almost whatever kind of production.

You don't even need to be anAmazon Prime member, you just need to know where to look. Nosotros'll tell yous everything you need to know, including the fine print. Only the big matter is that these products are listed as Amazon Warehouse deals, major discounts on returned, damaged, lightly used or refurbished items. And yes, gratis two-day shipping (one of the Amazon Prime membership perks) applies to well-nigh products, in example you demand to blitz a holiday gift. (P.S. Here's what to know well-nigh detangling Amazon's sometimes confusing return options .)

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Await for the Amazon Warehouse Deals page

We often begin Amazon searches on theAmazon Warehouse Deals landing page, because it cuts out full-price listings nearly entirely so you generally just see the discounted items (we'll get to one exception shortly). To get there, open Amazon using either a desktop browser or the Amazon mobile app and search for "Amazon warehouse" or "warehouse deals."

Rather than getting a list of search results like normal, yous should meet a screen that looks a lot like the master Amazon search page, with a search bar, categories and then on. From there you lot can scan categories like Computers & Tablets, Kitchen or Home Improvement (click these and other links in this story to run into actual, current Warehouse Deals listings) or you can search for more specific items just like yous would on the regular Amazon homepage, except the results volition be discounted, sometimes heavily.

This quick and like shooting fish in a barrel approach works best if you lot're not in the market for something in item -- say you're just looking for souvenir ideas or killing time during your luncheon break. Information technology can be a lot of fun to scroll through the various categories looking for stuff that pops out at you lot. If you lot're shopping for something more than specific, nonetheless, go on reading for pro tips on how to find it discounted using Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Why Amazon Warehouse stuff is so cheap

Only like other major retailers such as Walmart or Target, Amazon takes in a lot of customer returns, which it tin no longer sell as new-in-box, regardless of why the heir-apparent sent the detail back or whether it's even been opened. That'southward why everything Amazon Warehouse sells is listed as used, even if the product itself has never been touched. Regardless of its condition, used stuff is just worth less -- sometimes a lot less. And that'southward good for you.

Amazon Warehouse Deals piece of work for almost anything

Everything we've shown yous so far works peachy then long as you're a little flexible most what you lot're looking for. If, on the other manus, you're shopping for something really specific -- like, say, an Otterbox case for youriPhone 13 -- information technology can be frustrating to limit your search to just Warehouse Deals listings. Y'all might plow upward nix at all relevant.

Whenever y'all head to Amazon to buy an exact production, go ahead and search for information technology only like you would otherwise. At that place's a way to check and see if a discounted Warehouse Deals version is available from whatever Amazon listing.

First, pull up the item y'all desire to buy just as you usually would on Amazon, only don't add it to your cart just yet. Scroll down the page and keep your eyes peeled for words like "New & Used," "Buy Used," "New & Used Offers" or just patently "Used," which you should come across on the right side of the website.

Don't throw away those Amazon boxes merely yet -- if you lot do happen to receive an particular that'southward broken or doesn't work, you'll need to return it to Amazon.
Claudia Cruz/CNET

Commonly in that location'll be a cost listed, too, representing the cheapest option available (only not including revenue enhancement or shipping costs). If yous're non having whatsoever luck finding the link and you're on a computer, try using your browser's "find" office (usually Control-F on Windows PCs and Command-F on Macs) to look for these keywords.

One time y'all locate the link, look for items with "Amazon Warehouse" listed as the seller and an Amazon Prime number logo displayed most the toll. If Amazon Warehouse has more than one of the same item in stock, there will sometimes exist a separate listing for each, especially if the items are in dissimilar weather condition.

Exist careful of Amazon'south redirecting fox

Another thing to go on an eye on -- make sure y'all always get back to the Amazon Warehouse Deals splash page before starting a dissimilar search. Otherwise, if yous just search for another particular from the search bar at the top of the folio, Amazon might bounciness you out of Warehouse Deals and into the full site.

Same goes for "recent searches." If you searched for, say, "bunny slippers" across all of Amazon, then went to Warehouse Deals and searched for "banana slippers," then decided y'all definitely desirebunnies overbananas,don't select "bunny slippers" from the drop-downwardly menu that appears when you select the search bar. Those recent searches volition search not just the aforementioned terms but the aforementioned Amazon sections every bit the original search. In other words, it'll yank you out of Warehouse Deals and dorsum to the state of full-toll slippers. Instead, type the search in again on the Amazon Warehouse Deals primary page.

You'll find the best deals if you lot're non loyal to i make

Say y'all've been thinking virtually getting a newcordless drill for a while. You don't care who makes it, you but don't want to spend a lot of money. Or a newdog ternion,robot vacuum, whatever. You're not brand-loyal, just cost-witting. That's the perfect time to search from inside Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Practice it only like you would on the full Amazon site -- blazon your search terms in the dialog box, then select "Search." Searching from the Warehouse Deals principal page, your results won't be cluttered with a bunch of full-price listings.

Except for one caveat: Amazon'due south "sponsored" listings. Unless y'all have an ad blocker that specifically removes Amazon'southward paid list results (you lot can utilize the Amazon Advertising Blocker Chrome extension), y'all'll yet see full-priced items peppered among the discounts. These non-discounted listings look virtually identical to Warehouse Deals, except they're labeled "Sponsored." Sneaky, just that'due south why I'm warning you.

amazon-prime-day-shipping-delivery-3479 — Amazon Prime number members don't go whatever extra discounts on Amazon Warehouse merchandise, but they all the same benefit from free and ordinarily pretty fast shipping.
James Martin/CNET

How Amazon Warehouse returns work

Of the dozens (if not hundreds) of Amazon Warehouse listings we've bought over the years, we only ever ran into problems with a handful of them -- a Bluetooth adapter for a auto that would randomly close off, a wireless router that didn't broadcast any signal, a very well-worn puppy harness with domestic dog pilus stuck to it; stuff like that.

Whenever that happens, but render the item like you would whatever defective product, then social club some other i. Sure, it's a fleck more hassle, but considering the hundreds, if non thousands of dollars we've saved over the years this way, it's worth the extra try.

Truth is, about Amazon Warehouse items are in perfect working order -- many haven't even been so much equally pulled out of their packages. Even for stuff that has been taken out of the box, Amazon puts everything through what the visitor calls a "rigorous 20-point inspection process," afterwards which each item is given a quality grade and priced accordingly.

Some items may accept cosmetic damage or be missing parts, accessories, instructions or associates tools, merely Amazon will item any damage to the product or packaging, as well as any missing element along with the condition, so you won't be surprised.

What the different Amazon grades mean

Amazon has five unlike grades it assigns to items it resells. Here they are with brief explanations of what Amazon means.

The Amazon Warehouse listing for this production in Good condition costs $121.79. The aforementioned item in Very Adept condition costs virtually $7 more. Either option, even so, seems better than paying $164.99 for it brand-new.
Screenshot by Dale Smith/CNET

Renewed: This is the highest grade an Amazon Warehouse item can receive and is on par with what other companies might call "refurbished." Renewed items have been closely inspected and tested and determined to expect and role like new and come with a ninety-twenty-four hours replacement or refund guarantee. The "refreshed" Roku Limited Plus we in one case ordered had never even been opened.

Used, Like New: No noticeable blemishes or marks on the particular itself, although the packaging may be damaged, incomplete or missing altogether. All accessories are included, and any damage to the package will exist described in the listing. The box for the Like New Evenflo locking gate we bought saved $6 on was a trivial banged up, only we've seen manner worse on Walmart's shelves. The gate itself was flawless.

Used, Very Good: The item has been lightly used, with minor visible indications of wear and tear, just is otherwise in adept working order. Packaging might exist damaged, incomplete or the item repackaged. Any missing accessories will be mentioned in the listing.

Used, Adept: Item shows moderate signs of use, packaging may be damaged or the item repackaged and it could be missing accessories, instructions or assembly tools. Another Bosch Icon wiper blade we got was only in Proficient shape, but we saved $15 on that one, and honestly can't tell one from the other now that they're on the machine.

Used, Adequate: Very well-worn, but still fully functional. Major cosmetic defects, packaging issues and/or missing parts, accessories, instructions or tools. I got an Echo Dot for $23 that was considered Acceptable. Information technology has a scratch nearly the power port, merely on a nightstand it's hard to tell and cost half toll.

How to cull the right quality grade

If at that place are multiple listings with different grades available, retrieve well-nigh what information technology will be used for. If it's something purely functional and we couldn't care less almost its cosmetic status, like pilus clippers or a cordless drill, we'd go with the cheapest choice.

If it'southward something for display, like a kitchen mixer, end table or wall clock, read the descriptions a piddling more closely and look for items that are rated Very Good or Similar New.

Only honestly, a low enough price on simply almost anything could woo yous into putting up with some scratches or scuffs. In our experience, Amazon tends to err on the side of caution, marking items as Skillful or Acceptable that the average person would consider Very Expert or Like New.

amazon-echo-dot-cnet-gift-guide-2021 — You tin can sometimes get Amazon Repeat Dots for over 50% off their retail price.
Amazon

Beware, you may not take a warranty with your Warehouse Deal

One of the benefits of purchases made through Amazon Warehouse is that Amazon's standard thirty-day replacement or refund return policy applies, which comes in handy if you lot wind up with a lemon. Amazon does caution that considering these products are considered used they don't come with the manufacturer'southward original warranty.

That said, if the production hasn't already been registered in someone else's name, there's a decent chance any problems you run into by Amazon's thirty-twenty-four hours window can exist resolved with a call to the manufacturer.

Amazon Prime members still go costless shipping

Subscribing to Amazon Prime won't become you a bigger discount on Amazon Warehouse Deals, but you'll become free aircraft just as yous would for any other Prime-eligible particular, which is why we pay for Prime number fifty-fifty though many of our purchases come from Amazon Warehouse.

Most of the stuff nosotros bought through Amazon Warehouse ships and arrives within the same one- to two-day window we get with new items, although some orders do take longer to fulfill. If that'south the case, the actress treatment time is usually indicated on the listing, so you'll know what to expect.

Quick tips most buying from third-party sellers

While wading around in the listings looking for Amazon Warehouse Deals you may have discovered even more than discounted listings non sold by Amazon. What you've stumbled upon are items sold by third-party retailers whose only relationship with Amazon is that their items are for auction on Amazon'south marketplace, much like eBay.

Amazon's buyer protections lag considerably backside eBay's, yet. eBay guarantees customers their money back in the event of a dispute, and although Amazon will ultimately practise the aforementioned, its process is a chip more than convoluted, then proceed with circumspection. By and large, if you lot tin can't find a skilful enough bargain on Amazon Warehouse, tab over to eBay and await for the item at that place instead. eBay is a little more transparent about both its vendors and the merchandise they sell. If you're going to buy garage-auction used as opposed to Amazon's never-opened used, eBay may well exist the ameliorate fashion to go.

The editorial content on this folio is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by whatever tertiary political party. However, nosotros may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.