The first round of online holiday sales will begin next week. Both the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale and the Amazon Great Indian Sale will start on October 10. Other online marketplaces may follow Flipkart and Amazon and launch their own promotions. It’s that time of year when everyone hopes to get big discounts on their favorite products. But it’s easy to get carried away by crazy flash sales and offers that seem too good to be true.
We’ve prepared a small guide to help you shop online during and after next week’s big Amazon and Flipkart sales. Following a few simple rules will not only ensure you’re getting the best deals, but will also help you shop safely during sales.
1. Compare prices
The most obvious but often overlooked aspect of online shopping during holiday sales is price comparison. The largest online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon tend to match the top offers offered by their competitors. Sometimes these prices match almost immediately, and other times the company takes its own time to update the prices. Once you have settled on the product of your choice, simply compare prices on the next largest online marketplace. If you find an exact match, choose the one that offers you a better bundled deal (including exchange offers, cash back, or instant discounts based on your chosen payment method). This can help you get an overall better deal.
Time and time again, online marketplaces have been accused of inflating prices on their websites weeks before big sales like Flipkart Big Billion Days sale and Amazon Great Indian Festival. While this is not illegal, it is often done to make the deal look attractive during the sales process. Online marketplaces often display three different prices for a product. The first is the maximum retail price (MRP), the second is the usual selling price, and the third is the current list price. Your eyes should be on the second and third prices.
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2. Navigate like a pro
From a design perspective, most online marketplaces, even the good ones, are pretty confusing. During promotions, things get even worse. Browsing through the website and finding the right deals and offers among the numerous banners on the website becomes a tedious task. You could end up wasting a lot of valuable time looking for the right product, and by the time you find the right product, it may be sold out.
So, how to make sure you don’t get lost in big online sales like Flipkart Big Billion Days sale or Amazon Great Indian Festival? The easiest thing to do is search for the product. You can use the site’s search function or use Google. Direct access to the product of your choice will enable you to make a quick decision. Another method is to open the product category page on the website and use the available filters to sort the products according to your needs. This will display the product and its latest current price.
Many customers wonder whether it is better to shop online through a mobile app or directly on an online marketplace website. While shopping on a mobile app is easier, shopping on the website is better because you can quickly navigate, search, and complete your purchase.
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3. How to make the most of flash sales
Flipkart Big Billion Days sale and Amazon Great Indian Festival are both going to have flash sales next week. If you’re new, these are limited time sales with limited quantities in stock. Of course, these symptoms disappear within minutes, if not seconds. To ensure you can complete your purchase during the flash sale, you should arrive as early as possible. Some of the most popular flash sales are advertised in advance so customers can prepare. Make sure your personal details, address and payment information are saved in your account for a faster checkout process. While flash sales do require a bit of luck, these simple tips can still help make things easier for you.
If you miss a flash sale, you can still wait and try again, as most online marketplaces have multiple flash sales on similar products throughout the holiday sales.
4. Stay away from bad deals and bad sellers
If a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is. Always make sure to check the seller’s ratings and product descriptions thoroughly. Popular online marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart only promote deals and offers from reputable sellers, but given the sheer scale of these sales, it’s almost always impossible to stop some rogue sellers. Things like “new seller” and instances where product prices appear to be much lower than usual are clear red flags you should consider when making a purchase. On Amazon, choose sellers with the “Prime” and “Fulfilled by Amazon” banners; on Flipkart, choose sellers with the “Flipkart Assured” banner. Sellers covered by these plans offer standard return policies, and you also get customer support.
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5. Take advantage of available bundle offers
Online marketplaces now offer various bundled offers to make their deals even sweeter. Since they can no longer offer deep discounts on many products, they are now introducing exchange offers, cashback, no-cost EMI options and instant discounts to attract customers. If you’re shopping for electronics, you’re more likely to find bundle exchange deals where you can exchange used items in working condition for an instant discount. While these exchange offers don’t give you the best value for your used product, they are still much more convenient than reselling your old product directly to a third party. Both the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale and the Amazon Great Indian Festival will offer multiple payment options, so make sure you choose one that is available to you and can further add value to your purchase.