How to do Christmas Gift Shopping on Amazon
Buy Online with Wishlists, Free Shipping, and Black Friday Deals
Nov 25, 2008
At this point, almost anything anyone could imagine buying as a Christmas gift is available on Amazon. However, for those who are trying to save money on shipping and get the best deals, it is important to avoid traps. Not everything on Amazon is cheap, but deals are easy to find, and Amazon's many tools make it easier than ever to find an appropriate gift.
How to Get Free Shipping on Christmas Gifts
Amazon offers free "super saver" shipping on qualified purchases over $25. This can save a lot as shipping costs go up, but it is important to know what "qualified" means. It won't work if the packages are going to different places, so each order – going to the same address – must be cost least $25. That $25 does not include tax, so the list price of the item(s) must add up to $25 or more. Also, not every item qualifies.
A lot of items on Amazon, especially outside of the books/music/DVDs niche, are actually sold by third parties. Most items are also available for less money on "Amazon Marketplace," which is a service for third-party sellers and includes used goods.
Fortunately, Amazon makes it easy to figure out shipping costs. All items that qualify for super saver shipping have an icon next to them and say "FREE Super Saver Shipping," which makes it easy to browse options. Marketplace items also show the shipping cost, so it's easy to add up and see whether the total price is actually cheaper. Always allow 5-7 days for Super Saver shipping.
How to Find Black Friday Deals and Other Sales on Amazon
This year, Amazon is spending the whole Thanksgiving week on Black Friday deals, and there are a number of different gimmicks to encourage Black Friday shopping. There is a link at the top right of the screen, "Looking for Black Friday Deals?"
Clicking it leads to a page that shows various deals available at the moment, as well as a special Black Friday week deal for the day. There is also a new feature where customers can vote on the deals they'd most like to purchase. Some of the voters for each top-ranking deal will be randomly selected and e-mailed the day before the deal is available, and then the deal will be offered first-come, first-served to those customers.
Amazon also has some nice regular deals for those who miss black Friday or want to shop earlier. The "Today's Deals" icon at the top of the homepage leads to a page with various sales including a Deal of the Day and Lightning Deals that change every two hours with a limited supply. Useful for those who want a little something for themselves while gift shopping is the "Quick Picks" option at the bottom of the screen, which features personalized deals for the customer.
How to Find the Right Christmas Gift
The most obvious way to look for gifts is to click the "Gifts & Wishlists" link at the top of the screen. There are suggestions in various categories, sorted by gender and age group, and most useful is a wishlist search feature. Anyone who has a wishlist on Amazon can be found by e-mail. If the recipient doesn't have a wishlist, one idea aside from Amazon's Gifts area is to search for a book and then look at the Listmania options to find a similar item.
Listmania lists are created by users and group similar items (often books) by theme. This is a good option if the buyer and the recipient have similar tastes.
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