Getting a Good Deal

[Sunset]

I have noticed in the past, due to the web, when you search for a widget, then for the next few weeks you get lots of ads on various sites for widgets, but normally I've bought the widget already.

I have the free green Angies list membership.
They send me weekly emails about "deals"

Since fall is coming, I searched on their site for furnace cleaning to see if there was a special, but only from lousy companies, so I ended up using a local paper coupon and booked one for $59

Today Angies List sent me an email with 5 furnace cleaning specials, 3 a little cheaper and 1 the same price. I think my search made their system send me emails to try to get me to buy.

So I'm thinking can I do this for cruises or other big ticket items ?

 

[sengsational]

I wonder how many of those email promotions are simply telling you about things your could have found out on your own, had you looked specifically for those deals, as opposed to only available to those who got the email.

As to cruises, my one data point is Princess; I signed up for their "deals" email. The email highlighted a few, and as soon as you clicked into the website, you were at a place in their web site where anyone searching for deals could go.

 

[Bamaman]

It is all in THE COOKIES.

 

[MichaelB]

It is all in THE COOKIES.

I beg to differ. FB and Amazon are tracking computers by IP address, so even when you browse and shop in privacy mode, they record your activity and build an ad around that.

I wonder how many of those email promotions are simply telling you about things your could have found out on your own, had you looked specifically for those deals, as opposed to only available to those who got the email.

I think (have read?) that Amazon may use this data to set a price.

 

[athena53]

I find this particularly annoying with airlines. "Business-Class Fare Sale!" they scream. So you go to the site and there's no nice, neat list of destinations and dates- just the usual Search facility. No, I will NOT go on a treasure hunt to find your bargains.