*By: Madison Alworth*
Amazon has already started offering deals even before the official start of Prime Day. But the discounts aren't always the big bargains they appear to be.
Louryn Strampe, deal editor for Mobile Nations' Thrifter, a site dedicated to finding the best tech tips and deals for consumers, joined Cheddar with some tips on how to weed out the imposters.
"You can look at a website such as [Camel Camel Camel](https://camelcamelcamel.com/), which is one of our favorites at team Thrifter," she said. "You just enter an Amazon item's SKU, and it will show you all of the price tracking information."
Strampe said Amazon, like other retailers, will artificially jack up the price of certain items before Prime Day, making it seem like a sale is way better than it actually is.
That's not to say no offers are legit. Tech, especially anything that incorporates Amazon technology, could be a good bet. Since the shopping "holiday" is largely about promoting Amazon and its devices, buyers can expect some of the best deals to be on Echos, Kindles, and Fire TVs.
Prime Day was launched in 2015, touting more and bigger deals than Black Friday or Cyber Monday. While Amazon doesn't report revenue numbers for the event, it said sales last year were 60 percent higher than they were in 2016. And this year the company has one more stream from which to find customers.
"With the Whole Foods integration you can expect to see deals on more everyday essentials," Strampe said. "Things like paper towels or laundry detergent or items you just need on a daily basis."
Amazon Prime Day officially starts at 3 pm ET on Monday, July 16th.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/a-preview-of-amazon-prime-day)
Orangetheory Fitness is redefining the future of workouts with smarter tech, strength-based programming, and community-driven studios built for what’s next.
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
Wealthfront’s CFO Alan Iberman talks the $2.05B IPO and the major moment for robo banking as the company bets on AI, automation, and “self-driving money."
