Rough Start To Amazon's Prime Day Leaves Many Shoppers Upset

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – Amazon's website has run into some snags quickly on its much-hyped Prime Day.

Shoppers clicking on many Prime Day links Monday got only an abashed-looking dog with the words, "Uh-oh. Something went wrong on our end."

It wasn't clear how widespread the outage was, and an Amazon spokesman didn't immediately respond to an email.

Shoppers took to social media to complain that they couldn't order any items. It's a particular embarrassment for Amazon, on the shopping holiday it created that has become one of its busiest days.

The company responded via Twitter, saying many people were able to shop successfully despite the initial hiccup for some.

At 36 hours, this year's Amazon Prime Day is longer and more ambitious than ever.

Prime members will have access to more than one million deals, including discounts on Amazon's Alexa-enabled products, like the Echo, Fire TV and Fire Tablet.

And for the first time, there are Prime Day deals at Amazon's subsidiary, Whole Foods.

"They have a lot of Amazon products in Whole Foods stores now," said Dan Ackerman, a section editor for CNET. "They've got the Amazon Echos and the Dots and the little Amazon tablets in there. The discounted prices on those make them almost casual pickups on the way to the checkout counter."

The online deals apply to big ticket items, including washing machines and dishwashers, as well as smaller household goods like paper towels. Personal finance expert Jordan Goodman says electronics are the items to watch most, especially Amazon's Alexa-enabled products.

"Amazon wants those devices in there because once you have an Echo you order things through Amazon," he said.

Other big box stores like Best Buy, Target, and Macy's are having two-day sales to compete. WalMart says its deals are even better than Black Friday. Ackerman says the entire retail industry is feeling the pressure.

"They certainly feel like they have to compete because the first year they had a lot of counter sales. They backed off for a while but this year, they're all back - Best Buy, Targets stores."

Amazon started Prime Day to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2015. Amazon predicts shoppers will spend $3.4 billion worldwide during the 36-hour period, making it feel like Black Friday in July.

Psychologist Dr. April Benson specializes in compulsive buying disorders, and warns promotions like Prime Day can impair customers' judgement.

"The mood before and at the point of purchase is usually way up, and that's something people want to feel," Benson said.

Prime Day is also a way for Amazon to keep its subscribers on board. Amazon increased the annual Prime membership by 20 percent to $119 in May 2018. Before going online, Dr. Benson suggests setting both a budget and a time limit for how much you're willing to spend so you don't end up with buyer's remorse.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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