Amazon Black Friday 2010: Great deals. Better extras.
Amazon seemed strangely quiet while Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and others took their shot at Black Friday. On Monday, it delivered its answer, and it was eye-opening:
You don't have to wait until Friday to get good deals, the online retail giant said in an email to customers, "Black Friday deals start now." This season Amazon is not only again offering free shipping (matching Walmart) but also free 30-day returns, low price guarantees, and other specials on selected items.
So don't just shop the deals, pay attention to the extras.
Take its deal on a TCL 32-Inch HDTV. That's not only $40 cheaper than Walmart's 32-inch Seiki, it comes with a two-year warranty (double the manufacturer's warranty from Walmart), one day free shipping and free shipping on returns, and a price guarantee. Customers who find a lower price online or find that Amazon has lowered its price within 14 days after the shipping date can contact Amazon and get refunded the difference.
The popular second-generation Flip MinoHD Video Camera was already a hot item when Walmart this week advertised it for $159 for its upcoming Black Friday sale. Amazon is now selling it for $129. (On Monday, it was even lower: $110.)
But you can get it for $29 if you sign up for Amazon's $15-a-month audiobook service, where you download content directly to an MP3 device.
Amazon is selling the DVD of Sandra Bullock's recent movie, "The Blind Side," for $3.99. That's better than Barnes & Noble's $5.99. But in addition, Amazon is offering a $5 credit toward eligible movies and TV shows on its video-on-demand service.
Not all the deals are jaw-dropping. Amazon is offering Sony's PlayStation 3 with a family bundle of games for $299.99. That's the price that Walmart and Best Buy sell for the console alone (and Best Buy charges extra for shipping), but you've got to want the two extra games it provides.
Or how about its deal on a TCL 40-inch HDTV for $399, which comes with the price guarantee? That's good. But if it's a low-cost 40-inch model you're after, Target began advertising a Westinghouse 40-inch model for $100 less two weeks ago for its Black Friday sale.
Amazon will unveil more deals in the coming days, so the competition could get even hotter.
