We’ve discovered Aliexpress do this too. We were looking at soil block makers that were 20+ euros a few days later on our recommended list we got one for 6e! We now always look then go back and it seems to work more often than not!
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Last weekend, feeling unusually virtuous, I opted to order a newly published book direct from its independent UK publishers rather than through Amazon. My order was acknowledged last Monday, but the bloody book hasn’t yet been shipped.
It’s a book I need to read and digest before submitting a proposal to a US publisher. If I’d gone through Amazon I’d be well into the digesting stage by now.
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You can normally cancel on Amazon for a short -to - longer time after you order - you can do it online.
The key is to do it before it’s marked as first item shipped from the order. If you contact Amazon support, which takes practice to avoid the blocks (trapping you with robots and pointing to documentation you don’t need or you wouldn’t be trying to contact them) then Support/Cust Svcs can also cancel in that window.
At some times on some items it’ll start shipping within an hour or so, other things and times could be days before they start to ship.
Each product has its managed price evolution depending on all sorts of things. But I know seasonality, stock amounts now or pending, and especially demand (such as you looking at it, putting it on a wish list, into a basket or into save for later part of basket plus numbers of other users doing these things) all go into the mix.
Each country seems to have its own method and timings on each product.
For example in UK, often Tues and Weds cheapest. Thursday may be but risky as models of Amazon adapt to new work patterns when people’s flexitime or time off starts Thursday eve, say, so Amazon knows they will come willing to buy, some prices nudge up.
Germany is not the same - many products seem less volatile (longer intervals before prices move). France generally comatose in terms of price management but very seasonal and definitely hikes prices significantly at times seasonal demand clicks up.
The big thing today and yesterday is that Saturday was last day of the month and today Sunday 1st day of new month. It’s changeover day. Products may disappear as vendor only finds it worth selling, say, summer season. Or pre-programmed price reduction in new month kicks in (my guess as to what happened on this bonzocat). It’s not always month end, certain other times in the month are also more likely to have price changes, but month end high risk there’s a change as it’s how lots of companies work.
For example I had the choice to place my order on amazon.de yesterday last day of August. Or take a punt on good changes happening overnight for 1st Sept new month, today or soon after. I placed the order yesterday 31st August. As some products had what looked like a brief end of summer 1/3rd off reduction that might end at end of August. And on another key product I was ordering the price has been 50% of normal price for 4 months and I felt they’d pull the promo rather than keep it in September as businesses are back and the brand’s products are mainly used by businesses.
As a rule of thumb, opening a website, fiddling about a bit, leaving the product in the basket unbought, closing website up to 3 times over a period of a day or two up to 10 days (usually sooner than later) should elicit a banner offer, or some other change, or an email offer (if they’ve got your email), if they have something to offer.
If price moves against you then decide if you follow or wait through whatever the cycle is. camelcamelcamel website for the country will give you a good idea of price cycle in the case of Amazon.
I get the feeling I am being watched!
I just got the following email from Amazon.
I have no recollection of connecting my printer to Alexa and cannot imagine why I would want to.
However, on checking my printer, Alexa is right and I have now ordered a new cartridge.
Spooky.
Hello Mik Bennett,
Alexa noticed that your Printer, which you connected to Alexa on 17/03/24, is running low on black cartridge, according to usage data from the device
A bit like Ryanair then?
I needed a lie down after reading your whole post to try and assimilate the advantages versus the effort
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Or Oasis tickets
Maybe you are…
Personally I wouldn’t let an Alexia into the house.
Last year I updated the kitchen appliances, the oven has wifi connection but why, have an appliance that can burn the house down through error from a distance, I think the washing machine has wifi too.
I can understand (but not really happy with) why Linky meters send back information on types of consumption based on appliance.
This big brother thing is going to far…
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I pretty sure Linkys not only don’t,but can’t do this. How would they know which appliance is turned on ? @Badger will know. Sounds a bit tin foil hat 
Yes, each type of appliance has its own electronic "signature’ in the way that it uses electricity, so that most things would be pretty easy to identify.
Then other info matched such as timing, frequency, other appliance types detected and their data-, what is known about the house(hold) demographically (perhaps even how they pay / how longstanding at the address / when did x appliance use start or stop). Match with data from other sources.
Loss of privacy is huge and could make life difficult as and when data falls into the wrong hands. Much of it happens without our permission - and far, far beyond all the hidden stuff Google gets away with.
It’s here, now, and not just a future, and you’ll only catch glimpses of it.
They must have a pretty good idea cause when I look on my EdF account there’s a graphic showing consumption by type hot water boilers heating lighting etc. Now where do they get that from?
I seem to remember when setting up my edf et moi account, it zsked fir house size, number if rooms, people, heating, appliances etc. I don’t think Linky has any contact with household appliances, but some algorithm divvies up your usage depending on the info given.
I’d imagine they can do some good pattern matching based on energy consumption pattens and time of day. I’m guessing the consumption pattern of a washing machine would look quite different from that of an oven, which would look different again from that of a water heater. it probably loses value when starting to look at smaller consumers like lamps and fridges.
How on Earth do you manage to watch TV? Do you have one of those old fangled button things.
We used to have one but, after having argued who was the last to use it, then retrieved from the last place one would be expected to look, a complicated series of button presses was required to locate the required program.
Now a simple “Alexa, play Morse on iPlayer” from either of us does the trick. [tongue in cheek emoji]
When I look at my water consumption online, it gives me an averaged monthly figure. It also tells me how much of that water I used bathing, cleaning my teeth, washing clothes, watering the garden etc. How do they know that ? The answer is the same way that EDF tells you how much electricity you use on different appliances.
That’s not possible. Your EDF account does tell you how much you use on different things, but they don’t get that from your consumption profile. Linky only sends data to ENEDIS in slices of I think 30 minutes (it may be less, @Badger probably knows). They can’t use this coarse data to look for consumption profiles in different things.
I have for me, a modern 55’’ TV bought 2015 I mostly watch rubgy & in the winter a few films it has radio channels on it too. It doesn’t get much use as I haven’t had to change / renew the valves yet 
Mrs W does follow somethings on it. It has a remote control and I can use my phone to change the volume etc. 
Indeed. It looks very convincing doesn’t it. When you install the EDF app, it asks you all sorts of questions about your household and what appliances you have. Some don’t fill it in, I didn’t. Whatever you do, it will estimate, based upon your consumption and the questions you answered (or not, in which case it will be based upon the ‘average household’). They use this in order to present you with the information yousee. Voila !
E-mailed them today enquiring if it had been shipped yet. So far no reply, so tomorrow afternoon I’ll phone. Part of me is looking forward to being able to complain in fluent English!
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