Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, exclusive to Prime members, ran on Oct. 7 and 8, 2025. While marketed as “two days of epic deals ahead of the holiday season,” The Washington Post columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler tracked prices and found he’d save just 0.6%, which he called “almost nothing.”

In a column published Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, Fowler recalled how he and his family went into Prime Big Deal Days expecting bargains on items they’d been tracking for weeks. Instead, they encountered price hikes.

For example, a TV stand his father had been eyeing jumped 38% — from $275 on Oct. 2 to $379 during the sale. Another console increased from $219.99 to $299. While not labeled as official “deals,” the unexpected price spikes contradicted the Prime Day hype.

To investigate systematically, Fowler reviewed receipts for nearly 50 non-grocery items he had purchased on Amazon over the past six months and compared those prices to their listings on Oct. 8, finding some legitimate deals and others that were not.

A pack of COVID tests he bought in September was advertised as 39% off — despite being the same price. A book he purchased for $33.30 in May was listed at $41.50 on Prime Day with a claimed 19% discount. A shirt he bought in July for $14.99 was again $14.99, but labeled as 25% off.

Fowler acknowledged that tariffs and inflation may have played a role in rising prices.

Amazon spokeswoman Jessica Martin told The Post via email that Fowler’s examples did not reflect the broader trends of Prime Big Deal Days 2025.

“Amazon offers customers genuine savings and transparent pricing, whether on a regular shopping day or during a major event like Prime Big Deal Day,” Martin said.

“While we offer millions of deals during events, not every item across our store will be on promotion during an event, which is normal in retail,” Martin continued.

Fowler recommends Prime Day shoppers go in with a plan and always comparison shop, using tools like Google or AI assistants such as ChatGPT to verify online deals.

Some physical stores, he noted, also offered lower prices than Amazon’s reported discounts.

“When we display a discount, we compare our price to actual prices that customers have recently paid on Amazon or that competitors have recently offered,” Martin said regarding Prime Day pricing practices, per The Post.

Amazon Reported Record Savings During 2024’s Prime Big Deal Days

Consumer advocates have warned about Amazon’s commonly misleading marketing tactic of artificially inflating “before” prices to make discounts seem larger than they actually are, per The Post.

However, Amazon reported that Prime Day 2024, held on July 16 and 17, was its biggest ever, with record-breaking sales and more items sold than any previous event. Prime members worldwide saved billions across over 35 categories, the company reported.

“Prime Day 2024 was a huge success thanks to the millions of Prime members globally who turned to Amazon for fantastic deals, and our much-appreciated employees, delivery partners, and sellers around the world who helped bring the event to life for customers,” Worldwide Amazon Stores CEO Doug Herrington said in a statement.

“We love helping Prime members save money, and Prime Day is the ultimate celebration of the savings, selection, and convenience that Prime membership provides customers looking for shopping, entertainment, food delivery, and more,” Herrington continued.