Programmatic buying at Amazon?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by abs, Oct 14, 2014.

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  1. abs

    abs Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    For many years, I have occasionally been using a service called snip.pl to have my desired bid amount placed on eBay on the last seconds. It works very well.

    Is anybody aware of a similar service for Amazon where I could say "I want to spend max. 25.00 incl. S&H on item X in new condition - buy automatically when available" ?

    Thanks, abs
     
  2. Reese

    Reese Just because some watery tart threw a sword!

    [​IMG]

    The closest I could find was this:
    https://zinc.io/docs/

    Let us know if you try it out!
    I'm not sure I'd trust anything to do the buying, but I do use CamelCamelCamel to let me know when prices drop.
     
    PHILLYQ, abs, ribors and 1 other person like this.
  3. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    I LOVE that cartoon. Reminds me of actual posts I've read here in the last 4+ years ! :laugh:
     
  4. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Programmed buying at Amazon would only work for "new" condition items. Used condition items can be all over the map, with caveats listed in the description. You often find something listed as "like new" with the description mentioning it's missing the case/booklet/etc. And you get to pay to return those used items unless they are Fulfilled by Amazon...
     
  5. abs

    abs Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Thanks, Reese. Excellent cartoon, interesting link to the zinc.io API.

    I have also done some research and couldn't find any tools for automatic buying on Amazon - not a single one. So it must be complicated, otherwise there would be many solutions (like those for eBay).

    Regarding CamelCamelCamel, the site/add-on only seems to watch one selected Amazon site like .com or .de. But there are often huge price differences for the same product between the various locales, certainly worth checking out. Also, an OOP item might not be on stock on the selected site but available on another. I'm using halfsize.me for an overview; http://halfsize.me/?asin=B0000Z80HU .

    So what I'd like to see is something like halfsize where I could save a list of wanted items/condition/price (ideally incl S&H to my country) that is being watched continously and will either notify me or buy for me. Would anybody else need/use such a system? In that case I could have someone look into zinc.io.

    abs
     
    Tjazz likes this.
  6. The Spaceman

    The Spaceman Forum Resident

    I don't know if that's legal and/or ethical (I know I feel such a thing should not exist or be allowed. Price watching is one thing but this takes it too far. I have never heard of one for Amazon though.
     
  7. abs

    abs Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Spaceman, I'm confused. What's unethical about using a price tracker (there are many of them) - and telling it to send and email or to buy?
     
  8. The Spaceman

    The Spaceman Forum Resident

    I didn't say there's anything wrong with price tracking. There's a difference between price tracking and using software to place last minute bids.
     
  9. riverrat

    riverrat Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    I disagree strongly. Especially WRT to one for Amazon, if such a tool exists.

    If they are going to continue to pull that "dynamic pricing" BS on their customers (i.e. completely unpredictable timing and duration of sale prices; sometimes lasting only a few hours) we should have the right to use any means necessary to pounce when prices drop.
     
    abs and Reese like this.
  10. Beholdentonoone

    Beholdentonoone Forum Resident

    How do you like snip.pl? I use esnipe which I like but I'd be into giving snip.pl a try if it has advantages.
     
  11. abs

    abs Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Over many years, I have never had any issues with snip.pl. It's simple, cheap, reliable and works with any eBay locale.
     
  12. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    They used to have this in Amazon for out-of-print books. You could match a title in their catalogue, and put in the price you were willing to pay for a copy in a given condition. If as a seller you listed something on the list at a price equal to or less what the preorder was set for (for an item in the stated condition) it was sold immediately. Sellers could get a copy of the list, which changed every couple of weeks. It alerted me to many things I didn't know were in demand. There is no trace of this system anywhere on today's Amazon.com, so I assume it didn't work out for them. I imagine there were boatloads of returns and cancellations where somebody had a little glow on one day and told Amazon they'd happily pay $100 for a copy of X book, but when the order they promptly forgot about actually went through and hit their credit card on a Tuesday afternoon six months later they balked.
     
    abs likes this.
  13. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Yup, I remember that feature. And I expect you're right about why it got removed.
     
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