Amazon has removed their price adjustment policy in recent years, stay tuned to see if this new Amazon policy sticks. Because Amazon changes prices so frequently, they have gotten a lot of backlash for changing their policy. Bottom-line, these days there only seems to exist a couple workarounds to get the lower price. Here’s how it works.

If you still want to try and get a price adjustment here is how you go about it.

From blog reader Roxanne, she tried the following steps and didn’t get a price match but Amazon did give her a $40 credit to her account.

So bottom-line, the following steps are still worth a try, especially on expensive items.

How to TRY to Get a Price Adjustment:

1. Originally, You Had 7 Days From Delivery to Request Adjustment

The 7 days started when the item got delivered to your doorstep.

2. Keep an Eye Out For a Price Drop

Nobody has the time to check daily if the Amazon price drops on something you bought.

So use the free site CamelCamelCamel.com and they’ll do all of the leg-work for you and email you when a price drops.

3. What to do When a Price Drops Within 7 Days

You can either call Amazon customer service at 1 (888) 280-4331 or start a live chat session to get the ball rolling on your price adjustment.

SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE…SOMETIMES

Sometimes if you’re willing to argue your case vehemently with an Amazon customer service representative, they will refund you the price difference. There are many cases of this happening, both with commenters on this post as well as on various Reddit threads. The one thing all success stories seem to have in common is politeness, you’ll surely catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

How to Start a Live Chat Session

Starting a live chat session on Amazon can be a bit confusing but I feel it’s by far the best way to get a price adjustment.

At the bottom of this customer service page, select “Help with something else” then select the product in question, then select “I need more help”, then select “Start chatting now”.

Then once the chat starts, type “talk with a person” and you’ll quickly be connected to an actual person and can ask them politely for a price adjustment.

Does the Item Have to be Sold Directly by Amazon?

Officially, yes. But if you’re a loyal customer, the answer is surprisingly “No”.

I recently ordered a product from a 3rd party seller and the price dropped by $23 the day after I received it.

On a whim, I started a chat session and low-and-behold they gave me the $23 price adjustment anyways.

They explained it this way, “However since you are a loyal customer for one time exception I am refunding the difference to your gift card balance.”

I had the $23 in my account gift card balance within 2 hours.

Interestingly, this wasn’t a “one time exception” as they did the same thing for me back in December when I requested a price adjustment on a different item sold by a 3rd party.

PRO TIP: THE RETURN AND REBUY SCENARIO

It’s amazing to me that Amazon is telling shoppers that they need to return the item, then rebuy it at the lower price. In most cases, this is the only way to get “price protection” on your Amazon purchases these days. They’re clearly counting on us not going through with the “return and rebuy” as it’s a hassle and a time suck, especially if it’s a product you need right now. The frustrating part is they call themselves a company concerned with the environment, but just think of the carbon footprint they are leaving behind with all of these packages needlessly being returned and shipped out again.

Moral of the Story?

Always politely ask about a price adjustment, no matter if Amazon shipped it to your directly, or you bought it through a 3rd party, ALWAYS ASK.

Whether you’re a new or longtime Amazon customer, the worst they can say is “No”. Unfortunately, this is the answer almost everybody is getting these days.

If you get a “No” then you can decide whether it’s worth the hassle of returning the item and rebuying at the lower price.

PRO TIP: WATCH THE PRICE RIGHT AFTER YOU BUY

I recently had a price drop within minutes of me placing an order for an Western Digital external hard drive. I had gone back into my account about 45 minutes after my purchase to make sure I got the correct size hard drive and noticed the price had dropped $45. I immediately cancelled my order, verified that it had been cancelled, then rebought at the lower price. This hack works especially well in the evenings, and on weekends, when it takes longer for Amazon to process your order giving you more time to check if the price has dropped.

See Also: 6 Brilliantly Slick Ways to Get Amazon Prime for Free

Back when they were doing price adjustments, here’s how my Amazon chat session went down (BTW, in case you were wondering, my wife is Aimee and our account is under her name, haha):

Ask The Reader: Have you ever requested a price-match from Amazon? Was the item sold by Amazon or a 3rd party? How did it go?

Happy savings.

By Kyle James

A while back I talked about the clever ways you can shop at Costco without a membership. The article was very popular and made me realize I should write the same article for Sam’s Club. Maybe you’re on the fence about dropping $45 for a standard membership, or you know you won’t buy enough in a year to make it worth it. Whatever the case may be, there are clever ways to get free access to the Sam’s Club warehouse throughout the year. Here is what you need to know to make it happen.

1. Use a Free 1-Day Pass

The easiest way to get into Sam’s Club and shop without a membership is to Print This One-Day Pass for free.

Be aware that you’ll be charged a 10% fee on all purchases and the 1-day pass cannot be used on Black Friday. If you live in California or South Carolina you won’t have to pay the 10% surcharge.

This 1-day pass expires on 12/31/21.

This is a great way to get in and check out Sam’s and not have to shell out $45 or $100 for an annual membership.

See Also: Sam’s Club Return Policy: Your 12 Burning Questions Answered

2. Shop Items That Don’t Require a Membership

Here are the items at Sam’s Club that you can buy without an active membership:

Alcohol: According to Glamour Living, “Because of a law that prohibits the sale of alcohol through members-only arrangements, all Sam’s Club stores will sell beer, wine, and the hard stuff to nonmembers.”

Prescription Drugs: From the Sam’s site, “You do not have to be a Member to buy your prescription medications from Sam’s Club. For pharmaceuticals with a script there is no fee for non-members.”

Optical Services: Also from the Sam’s Club site, “A Sam’s Club Membership will be required to purchase optical products.

However, a Membership is not required to see the doctor of optometry.”

Do you know of any other items you can buy at Sam’s without a membership? Let me know if you do.

3. Shop During an Open House

Several times throughout the year, Sam’s Club hosts an open house event where all non-members are invited to shop the warehouse.

The best way to be kept in-the-know of upcoming open houses is to sign up for email alerts (look at bottom of page) from Sam’s or follow them on Facebook as they always let folks know in advance when an open house is in the works.

4. Have a Member Add You

If you have a family member who has a Sam’s membership and is the only person on the account, they can add you to their account for free.

You’ll get a separate membership card in the mail and be good to go (and save).

Important note: You must be the primary account holder to add a complimentary cardholder.

5. Shop at Sam’s Club.com

Another smart way to take advantage of Sam’s Club pricing and selection is by shopping their website.

You DO NOT have to be an active member to shop on SamsClub.com, BUT you’ll be charged a 10% surcharge on your online purchases.

If you’re making a significant purchase from their site, and you’re not a member, consider asking a friend or family member (who is a member) to make the purchase for you.

6. Shop With a Friend

Avoid the 10% fee you’ll get charged with a 1-day pass, and simply shop with a friend or family member that is a paying member.

They’ll use their card at checkout and you can simply repay them for your purchases. This tip seems fairly obvious but is often an overlooked way to shop at Sam’s without paying for a membership.

7. Earn Cash Rewards That’ll Pay for Your Membership

Okay, before you holler at me, this final tip does require you to buy a membership, but….it could easily allow you to get if for free in the end.

It works by you signing up for the Sam’s Club Plus membership ($100/year) which earns you 2% cashback on all purchases. The 2% back can easily pay for your membership if you spend $420/month on average.

While that number might seem big, if you’re buying all your groceries and household items for your family at Sam’s that number is fairly easy to reach.

Bonus Tip #1

Similar to Costco, you’re annual membership is completely refundable.

So you can always buy it, then decide later if the saving the warehouse club provides is worth the annual fee.

They’ll actually let you get a full refund on day 364 of your membership. You can request a refund in-store at the customer service desk, or call them at 1-888-746-7726.

Bonus Tip #2

While not a free option, you can join the Sam’s Collegiate Membership and get a free $15 eGift card when you sign up for the $45 annual membership.

Also, if you’re active or former U.S. military, you qualify for their Military Membership which scores you a free $10 eGift card when you renew or join for the first time.

This offer is good for the spouses as well and expires on 12/31/20.

Happy savings!

By Kyle James

Photo by Walmart.

TJ Maxx is a favorite shopping spot for many discount shoppers. Not only do they have dozens of name-brand apparel brands at discounted prices, but they also have deals on home decor items as well as name-brand kitchen stuff. The best part? Most items are marked down 25% to 50% off the original retail price. But…there are some other ways to save big money at TJ Maxx that only employees and consumer insiders are privy to and here they are…

1. TJ Maxx Price Tag Secrets

Learn how to read price tags at TJMaxx to determine what kind of a deal you’re getting.

For example, if you see an item with a red price tag sticker (see image above), it means the item has been marked down at least once, sometimes 2 or 3 times.

If you see an item with a yellow price tag sticker, it means the item has been reduced to FINAL markdown and is the lowest the price will go.

Often times you’ll find an item in both the clearance section with a red or yellow tag, and in the regular-priced section with no clearance price tag.

This happens when an employee fails to mark items down correctly. Because this happens often, it’s worth the effort to browse through the clearance section just in case any full-priced items that you’re interested in buying might be there.

No sense paying full price when you can pay the clearance price.

2. Fashionista? Look For Purple Price Tags

If fashion is your thing, and you’re always on the lookout for apparel straight from the runway, keep an eye out for purple price tags at some TJ Maxx locations.

These are the clothes that were featured on the runway during Fashion Week.

While the prices might not beat a red or yellow tag, they’re still a lot cheaper than shopping at major department stores like Nordstrom, Saks, or Bloomingdales.

3. Shop TJ Maxx on a Tuesday or Wednesday

As mentioned previously, it’s smart to shop at TJ Maxx on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

I was told be an employee that they tend to do their price markdowns throughout the work week, but most happen on Tuesday and Wednesday making those great days to shop and get “first dibs” on new clearance items and new price markdowns.

Also, always shop early in the morning to take advantage of these new deals.

See Also: TJ Maxx Return Policy: Tips to Make It Work For You

4. Learn to Haggle at TJ Maxx

When shopping for home décor, furniture, luggage, and even mirrors and prints it’s worth knowing that you can haggle an even lower price.

Simply look for any imperfections like dents, scratches, or even damaged packaging, and politely ask an employee for a discount.

A TJ Maxx employee told me recently the most they are allowed to reduce the price is by 10%, so start at 15% and settle on 10% off.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the result as stores want to get rid of imperfect items as they know they’ll have a hard time selling it at regular price.

The idea of negotiating a lower price at major retailers is something that has become more common practice so if you’re worried about looking like a cheapskate, get over it, you won’t.

5. “Compare At” Prices Aren’t Always Accurate

When looking at TJ Maxx price tags, be aware that the “Compare At” price might not always be correct.

Often times it is a bit inflated to make the TJ Maxx price look more attractive.

This best way to see if you’re being messed with is to use the ShopSaavy app and do a quick price check by scanning the items original bar code.

6. They Don’t Have Coupons…So Buy a Discounted Gift Card

Because of the lack of coupons at TJ Maxx, a terrific out-of-the-box way to save money is to buy discounted gift cards for the retailer.

They are “discounted” because they’re bought for less than face value from folks that got them as a gift and don’t want them, then sold back to you for a small profit, but still less than face value.

Here are a few online resources worth checking out.

• Raise.com – They currently have $100 TJ Maxx gift cards for only $77.85. Pretty nice savings.
• GiftCardGranny.com – They have a slew of TJ Maxx gift cards with an average savings right around 22% off the face value.
• CardPool.com – They are a distant third in terms of savings but still worth mentioning.

These discounted gift cards are especially great if you know you’ll be doing all of your Christmas shopping at TJ Maxx or making a large purchase in the near future.

See Also: Plan Your BIG Purchases: Here Are the Best Days of the Week to Shop

7. Think Outside the Big Box Store

TJ Maxx has some great deals on products that you don’t normally associate with them.

Here are a few to keep an eye out for.

• Pet Beds: We recently bought one and the price was 40% less than PetSmart and 20% less than our local Costco.
• Specialty Foods/Snacks: Look for deals from Jelly Belly, Williams Sonoma, and bargains on teas, pasta sauces, jams, and more.
• Luggage: Not sure why you’d buy luggage from anywhere else as the prices are so good. Look for brands like Brics, Gabbiano, Nine West, and Mia Toto Italy. Maybe only Ross has better luggage deals.
• Candles: Score big deals on brands like Yankee Candle, Luminara, and Chesapeake Bay.

Bottom line: Don’t only think clothing. jewelry, and handbags deals when you think TJ Maxx.

8. Shop in January and July and Save

If you can afford to wait until January or July to do the majority of your shopping, you’ll easily maximize your savings.

This is because those two months are when they switch out seasons at TJ Maxx and move a lot of inventory to the clearance rack which of course passes the savings along to you in droves.

Makes for a great time to stock up for the following year.

9. Yes…You Can Find Current Season Items at TJ Maxx

Thanks to reader Luke for this tip.

Here is what he told me, “As someone who knows the fashion industry very well I’d like to shed light for those who don’t really understand TJ Maxx or haven’t spent enough time in stores to know the difference.

TJ Maxx purchases overstock, cancelled orders, and past season deadstock, as well as merchandise not made for the American market but perhaps the European market.

This means that it is very possible to find current season merchandise that is also carried at your local department store. In regards to past season merchandise I have seen items at times still with their department store tag or items that are EXCLUSIVE to a department store like Macy’s or Saks Fifth Avenue.

With that said, I have even found merchandise (at TJ Maxx) from online boutiques like SSENSE. My local TJ Maxx carries runway so I will see year round designers like Dolce and Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, and Saint Laurent.”

Ask the Reader: How do you save money at TJ Maxx? Any insider tips to add to the conversation? Leave a comment below, thanks.

By Kyle James