According to:
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/advertising-and-promotions/pricing/#l12ee9

Sale prices must also show the prior price. The prior price is the lowest price the goods were on sale for in the 30 days before the sale. For example, a TV advertised as ‘was €1400, now €900’ must not have been available for less than €1400 in the 30 days before the sale started.

But Amazon increased the prices for a few days before the sale, then returned them to normal price again, and used that higher price to calculate price difference.

Here's one example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CLDZ8WHP?ref=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_45QPBVBPD2WVS6Q5AA36&ref_=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_45QPBVBPD2WVS6Q5AA36&social_share=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_45QPBVBPD2WVS6Q5AA36&starsLeft=1

You can check the price history on sites like Keepa:
https://i.imgur.com/Ef2lWOq.jpeg

The prior price they're using is the higher one, but (I think) they should be using the lower one.

It being Amazon.co.uk might be their way out of it, but I'd imagine the same laws would apply if they're selling to Irish consumers?

EDIT A chunk of a thread just got deleted below, but the main findings of it are that Amazon.co.uk are subject to Irish consumer laws, Amazon is selling their own products under the Prime Day deals (so are not always just an online marketplace intermediary for other sellers), and there are Amazon-sold products that have been sold at lower prices within the last 30 days than the high price shown on the site. E.g. Amazon Echo . The tricky thing seems to be that they're not saying "Was €X, Now €Y", they're saying "-X%" comparing the current price to the RRP price they're showing below it, which seems to consistently match the max price within the last 30 days. I'm not the person to say if that's a legitimate loophole or not, though.

by towuul

21 comments

  3. Are they calling it a sale?

    I think they’re making the distinction that there is “their” price and the RRP.

    Prime Day is described as a deal event, not a sale.

    It’s still scummy but I’d say they’re working within, or around, UK and Irish laws on sales by not claiming it as a sale.

    You even use the term deal yourself in reference to it.

  6. Amazon break Irish law every single hour of every single day. And Revenue are too chicken to audit them.

    The worst is how, for example, they charge 0% vat (on kids clothing items age 10-13 for example) when they should be charging 23% – meaning no Irish business can compete.

    They literally profit and take money away from the tax take that could be put toward homelessness and housing.

  7. The whole thing is a fad anyway they’ll have the same or similar “offers” next week anyway

  8. Anyone who falls for Prime day needs their head tested

  9. This Prime Day nonsense is one more symptom showing that we’re living in a late stage capitalist, proto-fascist, dystopian nightmare.

    Also, it’s two fucking days ffs. Yer wan on the wireless without the slightest hint of embarrassment talking about prime ***day*** on the 15th and 16th of July. It’d boil your piss.

  10. Plenty of places break these rules, very few of them get punished as they’re either big enough to know how to get away with it or too small for anyone to care about.

  12. Friend of mine sent me a link this morning to a Sage Espresso machine, Prime Day deal has it at €535 and €750 is the price crossed off.

    3 retailers in Ireland selling it at €500 – €550 as it’s full price. It’s a total scam of an offer, as are most on Prime Day

  13. The only deal you’ll get is on something that you’ve been tracking the price of for awhile and then if it’s actually lower during Prime Day. You’ll know for sure then if you’ve actually made a saving.

  15. It’s called establishing price establishment. It can vary by type of produce and channel.

  16. Had a few things in my basket the last few weeks, prices went up on most of the items up to last weekend. 1 or 2 pounds/euro at a time.

    It’s been like this for years. But sometimes the prices go down too so you can get lucky.

  17. Got lucky, missed the chance to buy something at £220 a few weeks back, was waiting for it to drop since. Dropped to £200 for prime day. Paid €266 incl taxes. Cheapest in Ireland is €400.

    Had the price tracking chrome extension and it never dropped as low.

  18. Changed my address to UK to see what we’re missing and it’s a complete joke, my deals page looks like Aliexpress compared to whats on offer there.

  19. They’ve a water bottle I bought two months ago for 24 pounds on sale for 30 pounds saying it was previously 40… Things in my save for later are also showing prices I’ve never seen them listed for… Hope they aren’t catching people with these awful ‘deals’

  20. I use the Keepa app (they have a website too), allows you to see historical prices and also allows you do add a tracker with custom price thresholds.

    There are some deals to be found, but mostly it’s a scam.

  21. In short , it’s a scam. Up the price a month or two before then bring it back to the original price

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