Supporting our nearest neighbours in the World Cup might be next to impossible for some Irish people, but we’re happy to support UK sites when it comes bagging a bargain. That’s why many of us are happy to shop online with Amazon.co.uk. Even better is the one day a year where prices get slashed on a range of products to celebrate Amazon Prime Day. Look, this is a totally made up day but you can save a fortune on some things if you play your cards right. Here’s my guide to help you get ready for Amazon Prime Day 2018
What is Amazon Prime
Amazon, for some reason, decided to plonk a headquarters in Ireland but still refuses to officially operate here. In 2018, I do have to admit that things are loosening up a little bit. You can now officially buy Amazon Echo devices here and an even wider selection of products can now easily be delivered to Ireland.
Amazon Prime is a premium service and you’ll have to pay either €100 or a monthly €15 membership. You don’t need Amazon Prime to shop on Amazon.co.uk, but it does upgrade you to a first-class shopping experience, including express shipping, free UK shipping and discounts on selected products. Most importantly, to enjoy Amazon Prime Day discounts, you do need to be a Prime Member.
Now, don’t worry, I hear you. You’re probably thinking – “what good is free UK delivery to me and I in Ireland”. Well, I’ve already explained in detail how to get free UK delivery to Ireland using Parcel Motel, a virtual UK address provider that solves that problem.
What is Prime Day
Like we mentioned, Prime Day really is made up by Amazon to celebrate the joy of capitalism. While we’re on the subject, did you know Father’s Day only started in the seventies? Some consider days like these to be Hallmark Holidays, which, like everything else in the world, has been summed up brilliantly by The Simpsons:
People love hearing that there is a “Something Day” because they gear up for it and buy loads. Amazon Prime Day has been positioned by the online shopping giant as being similar to Black Friday is terms of value, so of course, people lose the run of themselves.
When is Prime Day 2018
This year, Amazon Prime Day is starting six hours earlier. That means you’ll need to have your credit card cleared and ready to go by the 12 pm on 16 July, when you’ll have 30 hours to buy stuff you could probably live without.
So, if you’re like me and can’t keep your shit together, here’s how to most out of Prime Day.
Get the most out of Prime Day Ireland
There are a few steps to ensure you get the very most out of Prime Day if you’re living in Ireland:
- Have your Parcel Motel account setup
- Have your Amazon Prime account ready
- Get the Amazon Assistant on your desktop
- Get familiar with Price Spy
1. Have your Parcel Motel account setup
Strictly speaking, it doesn’t have to be Parcel Motel anymore as there are several virtual UK address providers in Ireland, including An Post. Still, for UK shipping to Ireland, Parcel Motel is our service of choice.
Set up your account, get your virtual UK address and lash it into Amazon before the big day.
2. Have your Amazon Prime account ready
If you’ve never used Prime before, you can enjoy a lovely 30-day trial. If you have used it before, you could always jump on web chat and ask for another trial. It won’t always work, but give it a go. If all else fails, you can sign up for a monthly membership. Do the maths before you do though, and make sure you’re winning by saving enough on your purchase to make up the price of membership.
3. Get the Amazon Assistant on your desktop
Shop like the pros. None of your smartphone shopping nonsense, though there is an app available. You need a big screen and Amazon also offer a desktop assistant to help make sure you don’t miss a deal.
4. Get familiar with PriceSpy
This is really important. During the furore of the day, it’s easy to think you’re bagging a bargain when really you’re having your trousers pulled down. Before you buy anything, you should run it through PriceSpy to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Prime Day deals to look out for
It’s almost impossible to recommend deals as they happen in real time, but add some things you’re interested into your basket and keep an eye on them throughout the day.
There is one deal you should keep an eye out for though.
Buy an Amazon Echo on Prime Day
We’d be very surprised if Amazon didn’t have a great offer for the Echo and Echo Dot. These are Amazon’s voice-controlled home systems. They normally retail for reasonable prices, especially the Echo Dot which we absolutely love. That’s why I’m making the Echo Dot our Prime Day lock of the week; two years running!
See what I mean about The Simpsons? A quote for everything.
The online shopping super power stated on their website that this year is set to be the biggest Amazon Prime Day yet, with over 100,000 deals worldwide and thousands in the UK alone also being available to Irish shoppers. The deals are only available to Amazon Prime members, but they are very forthcoming about the fact that you can set up a prime membership and cancel it within 30 days without it costing you a penny. Here are some of our favourites on Amazon.
