# Amazon is weird **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 30, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-is-weird/738997 "2015-11-30T00:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-is-weird/738997/1 "2015-11-30T00:37:03Z")
A few weeks ago I decided reorganizing my huge bead collection would [del]be a great way to procrastinate[/del] help me make more Holiday presents. I checked Amazon for interesting small containers. I found a plastic box containing 24 smaller boxes for $2.47. I ordered one. It arrived and was perfect for my needs. I decide I need more, many more because this item is so perfect. That day Amazon price $6.99. But wait if you check by the product name you find two entries; the other is $4.99. All three of these were sold by Amazon not a 3rd party. I scoured the internet; no one else was selling them for less than $4.99. Sometimes I am a stubborn and suspicious person. I placed shortcuts to both the $6.99 description and the $4.99 in my browser and every day I checked. The prices have been the same. . . UNTIL TODAY!!! The price is back to $2.47!\* I ordered 8! (I have many many beads.) Mundane and pointless to you happy lovely to me. \*BUT this same entry offers a 3 pack bundle for $23.73??? WTF? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-is-weird/738997/2 "2015-11-30T00:43:20Z")
Not surprising. They fiddle with the pricing algorithms all the time. And I’ve seen differences in pricing when looking at the same ASIN when logged into Amazon on one browser and not logged in on another browser at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-is-weird/738997/3 "2015-11-30T16:32:06Z")
Check out [camelcamelcamel.com](http://camelcamelcamel.com) to save yourself some headache. It will inform you when the price drops below some threshold that you set, and you can view pricing history of that item. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-is-weird/738997/4 "2015-11-30T16:40:58Z")
The price on the main search screen for whatever deal it is (1, 4, 8 etc) is nearly always the best price. If you go and change the quantity it’s not only a worse price, but usually much, much worse. If you watch, you’ll typically find that when you change the quantity (or color) the seller changes as well. I think that’s why the price changes so drastically. Also, I don’t know how much you do on Amazon, but I’ve often found that paying the extra dollar or three is worth it to get something shipped and sold by Amazon rather then dealing with a Marketplace/3rd Party vendor. Of all the purchases I’ve made on Amazon, I’ve probably had 10 or 15 problems over the years (out of probably a 500-1000 purchases). Of the ones that went wrong, nearly all of them were when I wasn’t buying direct from Amazon. They usually get resolved, but it’s a bigger headache. Of course, this is for something more like $20, for something that costs $2.50, you’d be doubling your cost. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-is-weird/738997/5 "2015-11-30T16:42:38Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Check out [camelcamelcamel.com](http://camelcamelcamel.com) to save yourself some headache. It will inform you when the price drops below some threshold that you set, and you can view pricing history of that item. TYTYTY! I found this site last year and used it for HRBlock software; and then promptly forgot the name of the site:smack: