5 Hidden Bargains Americans Don't Know About

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If you often wait for Black Friday, Prime Day, or the occasional flash sales to save money, you are doing it the hard way. While you get steep discounts during sales, there are other, sometimes better, deals you never hear about. That's because these are not advertised as extensively, yet they are just a few taps away on your smartphone or the official website. E-commerce retailers like Amazon and eBay have dedicated sections where you can find heavily discounted products. Similarly, offers on major credit cards and deals from your phone carrier can help you save a few bucks off your next purchase.

It's not that these bargains don't exist all-year-round. Most people don't know about them because they are often hidden behind menus and tabs that they don't bother checking. But the good news is that it requires neither a lot of effort nor advanced skills to unlock these hidden bargains. You just need to know where to look, and you can save real money on products in your wishlist.

If you frequently shop on Amazon, its Outlet and Resale sections are worth visiting. On Amazon Outlet, you will find deals on brand-new items that are overstocked by the seller. The discounts aren't too steep, but a few dollars off each purchase adds up in the long run, resulting in decent savings. The best part is that you don't have to compromise on quality or delivery time.

For bigger discounts, you can check out Amazon Resale that lists used products. Just like other sections on the website, Amazon Resale lists products under categories to ensure seamless accessibility and navigation. Keep in mind that although these are used products, they are thoroughly inspected by Amazon and, based on this evaluation, assigned a rating. You will find products marked "Like New," "Very Good," "Good," and "Acceptable," with each signifying the product's quality. Generally, the better the quality, the smaller the discounts.

Apart from these two, you have Amazon Renewed for refurbished products. These offer a middle ground between new and used products, as the items here are professionally tested and certified. You can find great deals on Amazon Renewed, but since the product availability is limited and there's a high demand, the items are quickly sold. So, timing is key!

Most people don't realize it, but credit cards can be a great way to save money on online and offline purchases. Many major credit issuers run offers that apply to a wide array of merchants, including Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, restaurants, and even offline stores. The discounts are often hidden within dedicated sections on the credit card's app or online dashboard. This can be labelled as "Offers," or "Offers & Rewards," depending on the issuer. Some dashboards even categorize deals into "Electronics," "Entertainment," "Travel," "Food," and more. So, finding the right deal is relatively easy, provided you know where to look.

For those of you who think that credit card purchases are limited to reward points or cashback, these hidden offers can be a real game-changer. You don't need to use every deal there. Just aim for the ones that help you save on planned purchases or routine spends, like shopping, food, and travel.

Your phone carrier doesn't just bill you at the end of each month; it sometimes also offers deals, discounts, and coupons across a wide range of options. And most people never benefit from these, simply because they don't know that such offers exist. These usually include discounts on subscriptions and mobile upgrade deals. Some even have discounted vouchers for major e-commerce platforms.

Deals offered by network carriers are usually account-specific and change quickly. So, it's wise to check them regularly. If your mobile carrier has an app, there should be a "Deals" or "Offers" section either on the home screen or tucked somewhere in the menus, but it shouldn't be too tricky to find. If you still can't locate the deals, contact the support team. They should guide you to it.

Keep in mind that deals offered by carriers can sometimes be really good, especially when it comes to mobile upgrades. So, keep an eye out for such offers.

eBay is another major e-commerce platform that also sells refurbished products at huge discounts, sometimes as high as 65%. Like Amazon, eBay Refurbished has categories based on a product's condition. The best ones, marked as Certified Refurbished, come with original or new accessories and a 2-year warranty. Other categories include "Excellent," "Very Good," and "Good," and come with a 1-year warranty, in addition to a 30-day return window. So, even if you don't like the product or it doesn't match what was promised, you can always return it.

Then, there's eBay's "Certified Open Box," where products are in a like-new condition and sold by sellers vetted for quality. Items purchased from eBay's Certified Open Box include all original accessories.

So, if you are planning to get a new phone, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, or another gadget, the refurbished and certified open box products are worth checking. You can get the same product in mint condition at 10-30% off or more.

Lastly, it's important to realize that every sale or discount isn't necessarily a good deal. Sometimes, the product's prices during sales aren't at their all-time low, or not even much lower than the previously listed price. To find out the product's pricing history, you should use a price tracker. This will tell you whether the product is indeed available at a steep discount over the regular price, or it's just a marketing gimmick.

You can get a price tracker for every major e-commerce platform, including Amazon and eBay. Some are available as browser extensions, a few as mobile apps, while others are web-based. Irrespective of its functionality, a price tracker proves useful, especially on larger purchases where margins are higher.

So, the next time you are purchasing a product and are not absolutely certain whether it's a good deal, don't guess. Use a price tracker to decide whether to buy now or wait a little longer. Once you make it a habit to use price trackers, you will save big in the long run.