Use This Tip to STILL Get Amazon Price Protection on Almost Everything
Update: Amazon will now only offer 30-day price protection on TV’s. Also, when it comes to TV’s, they’ll only price match specific online retailers. But wait…
Amazon does not have an openly stated price protection policy. Most savvy Amazon shoppers are already aware that their price protection policy, which entitles you to money-back if the price is lowered after you receive the item, went away several years ago. BUT…not all hope is lost as often times the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you can still get price protection. Let’s break it all down…
Here is what you need to know to make this happen:
Keep an eye on your recent Amazon orders.
If you order regularly, check current pricing of the stuff you’ve recently bought.
I’ll login to my account and check prices at least once a week, especially during times of the year when my wife and I are doing a lot of purchasing (kids birthdays and Christmas).
Found a lower price?
Once you find an item you’ve recently purchased that is now being sold for less, simply go to the Amazon Contact Us page and start a chat session.
See Also: 14 Stores That’ll Happily Give You Amazon’s Lower Price
Start a chat session.
Specifically, on the Contact Us page, under “Step 2 – Tell us more about your issue”, select “Payment issues” followed by clicking the “Chat” button at the bottom.
Be polite.
Politely explain the situation and inform them of the new lower price. They’ll ask for your order number, so be sure to have it at the ready.
Be Persistent…You Have Nothing to Lose.
When you start the chat, explain how ridiculous it is that you need to return the item then rebuy it at the lower price in order to get “price protection”.
Depending on the price of the item in question, ask for some money back for your inconvenience.
Either ask for the dollar amount of the price reduction, or on cheaper items ask for at least a $5 – $10 credit.
Be persistent.
In many cases, they customer service rep will grant you a promotional credit for the amount that the price was reduced.
Many in the comments have pulled off this tactic successfully so I figured it’s DEFINITELY worth trying.
Good luck.
See Also: Here’s How You Make an Amazon Return After 30 Days
The only requirement is Amazon fulfillment.
My watch batteries were sold by a company called “The Perfect Deals”, but the order was fulfilled by Amazon via Prime 2-day shipping.
I was happily surprised this was not an issue when it came to getting price protection.
A good rule-of-thumb is to look for Prime shipping eligibility; if it’s an eligible item then it’s almost always going to be fulfilled by Amazon.
You can EVEN get price protection if another Amazon seller has a lower price.
When I told the chat rep that the price of my batteries had dropped, I failed to realize that the price I was quoting him was actually from a different seller.
He informed me of this, and offered to give me the price of the other seller as a “one time exception”.
Keep this knowledge in your “discount holster” and fire it on an expensive purchase so you can maximize your cash-back.
Below is a copy of my chat transcript that details exactly how the whole thing went down.
Ask the Reader: Have you ever been able to get some money back from Amazon after buying something and then noticing that the price was lowered? Was it easy? How did the whole deal go down? I look forward to your comments.
By Kyle James
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
I just tried your approach and was informed that it was filled by a third part seller and not sold and shipped by Amazon. The difference was only $5.00. However, I was given a $15.00 credit on my account for any future purchases. Thanks for your advice.
I just tried this for H&R Block Software I received a few days ago. No dice. I was told they no longer offer price protection. Suggested I return the software and purchase again at the lower price. The price difference was $15US. However, since I already installed the software, I can’t return it. So, sometimes ya win and sometimes ya lose.
Just tried and was quite rudely denied
I just attempted to get a price guarantee change off a set of weights and Amazon wouldn’t honor the $20 price decrease. He offered me the option to return them and then re-order the product. I informed him that returning 100 lbs. of weights and re-ordering didn’t seem all that efficient. When I asked if Amazon offers price protection, the representative told me they did not.
Ordered Bowflex Select Tech Dumbbells earlier in the month. Regular price is $249 + tax. Less than two weeks later, it dropped today to $191. I’m not returning this item using scam reasons, because it’s over 100 lbs and a hassle. The proper thing would be to get a partial refund or account credit for the difference. Started a chat for order issues and got firmly denied with a script. Fine Amazon. That’s the last order you’ll get from my account and I immediately cancelled my Student Prime. Customer service has gone downhill in the past year…
Amazon does not have a 7 day or any price match policy. Here is a transcript of my chat with “Hitesh”.
Hi, the router I just received today 5/31/17, dropped $20 today. I received the ASUS RT-ACRH13 ORDER # XXX-XXXXXXX. I don’t want to have to return it. I read that you have a 7 day price match for items sold by Amazon. Please let me know if you can credit me the $20. Thank you.
11:53 AM PDT Hitesh(Amazon): Hello, my name is Hitesh. I’m here to help you today.
11:53 AM PDT Tim: Hitesh
11:54 AM PDT Tim: Are you there?
11:55 AM PDT Hitesh: Hi Timothy . I hope you’re doing well.
If you want this item in lower price. The best resolution is to return and reorder.
We don’t price match, Timothy .
11:56 AM PDT Tim: OK
11:56 AM PDT Hitesh: Please let me know if I can help you with anything else.
——
Since the item was not defective there was a $9 shipping return fee. I will net $11 back and they get back a router they can’t sell as new again (or can they). I suspect this will cost them more than if they just gave me a $20 credit. I’m really disappointed in Amazon on this. What a waste.
Amazon doesn’t offer any price protection! I ordered TV and few days later it was over EUR 100 cheaper and they wouldn’t refund me anything 🙁
Amazon has cracked down hard on this. No price matching whatsoever. I ordered a vinyl record for $29 and three days later the price dropped to $19. They wouldn’t budge, and I was exceedingly polite about it.
I just got done chatting with a couple different Amazon chat associates as I kept getting transferred over to another person to resolve the issue. I ordered a Chromebook for my mother for $199, and is to be delivered tomorrow, but I saw today it is now $179, so I thought I’d be able to get a 20 dollar refund or credit, but they said there prices are dynamic and change many times throughout the day and do not do any price guarantees. So, I said so can I just return it and he said he recommends me to refuse the package tomorrow and reorder under the new price??? This makes no sense to me, seems it costs them more to do that and more of a hassle to the customer.
Denied by their script and the Amazon rep disconnected immediately. And my items I was disputing were 2 Amazon Fire TV sticks that were selling for half of what I paid for them 5 days ago. This article got my hopes up that I’d get something back, sadly no.
No dice on an item that I received and noted a price reduction within 7 days. During chat CS indicated no price reduction allowed. This blog really should be taken down for it’s misinformation (especially since it now has a date of 9/19/2022). I decided to “go for broke” in chat that it was ridiculous that I needed to return and rebuy to receive the price reduction and ask for a $5 GC for the inconvienence. After that the chat CS “checked with their lead” and granted a promotional credit for the amount that the price reduced which would be taken off on the next item that I order from Amazon.com. So, as they say “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
Nice strategy…glad it worked out and they gave you some money back.
I spoke with three different reps and each one of them quoted the ‘no price match’ policy with a link to me. No dice for me.
Just tried it and no luck. They said I could return tv and then reorder at the new price. Would not deviate from the original price.
yup. they don’t care. tough luck policy.
Hi! I was really hoping this would work. Today I contacted them about a $12 price difference on something I purchased 4 days ago and have not received yet. Sadly, Amazon flat out refused to do a price difference refund or Amazon credit.
I couldn’t get a price credit either. I bought a TV for $1498.00 a few days ago. Now it is $1298.00.
4/3/2023
I just bought an Amazon Dot Echo for 59.99. Two days later it was 44.99. I chatted with an associate and they immediately gave me the 15 dollar difference.
Super easy!
Seems like they still do it for some, and my rep got my hopes up when he went to “speak to a manager”, but then came back with the same “no price match” boilerplate. I wonder if the Echo refund happened because it’s an actual Amazon product?