Frequently Asked Questions
What we do
- Exactly what is it you do?
- Fair question. We built a website that gives you more flexibility to view and manage your Wishlist list at Amazon. We also have it set up so that you can be alerted via email if anything on your Wishlist suddenly becomes available and/or affordable at either Amazon or Half.com (ebay).
- Why did you create this site?
- We like Amazon a lot, but thought their Wishlist could use some help. Specifically, we didn't like how they sorted our products and we wanted some sort of notification when the new Star Wars DVD was cheap enough for us to actually buy. (It's a complicated formula, requiring an entire team of economics professors to calculate, that fluctuates wildly based on our weekly expenditure for beer and cheetos.) Plus, we wanted the best price anywhere, even if it wasn't on Amazon at the time.
- We thought that building our own service would be easier, quicker, and cheaper than a leveraged buy-out of the Amazon corporation. It may be too early to tell, but so far, it looks like we made the right call.
- How much does it cost to signup for and use your Service?
- Nothing. There is no charge to register for or use the service.
- Seriously?
- Yes. Seriously.
- I don't buy it. Why would you do this if you don't make any money?
- Ah, you're making assumptions. We didn't say we wouldn't make any money—just that we don't charge you, the user, anything for the service. We might make some coin through advertising on our website, and we get an affiliate referral fee from Amazon and Half.com if you buy your stuff through the links on our service.
- Does that mean we are paying more for our stuff so that you get a finder's fee?
- Nope. Neither site tacks on the referral fee to the cost of your items. Items purchased through a Wishlist you maintain here cost exactly the same as those you'd buy if you went straight to the sites. Amazon and Half are so excited about getting more people buying stuff that they give us the fee out of their own pockets. They're practically saints.
- How'd you sort that out? Is your Mom on the Board of Amazon or Half?
- Careful. No need to bring our Moms into this. No, we have no formal relationship with Amazon other than through their Associate Program (more info here and here). Plus, we're customers of both Amazon and Half.com ourselves. We bought the Lord of the Rings Extended DVD Trilogy at Amazon, as well as a bunch of other stuff over the years. Lord of the Rings totally kicks ass.
- How do I sign up for your service?
- Easy. Just go to our signup page, give us some info, and we'll give you an account.
- And then you'll sell our info to the highest bidder?
- Are you getting out of a bad relationship or something? No, we won't sell your info to the highest bidder or to any bidder. You can get full details on all that in our Customer Agreement and Privacy Policy.
- Can I still access my Wishlist through Amazon directly if I use your service?
- Yes. We don't change your relationship at all with Amazon, and we do nothing with or to your Wishlist (add, edit, delete, etc.) unless you tell us to do it for you.
- Does your service work with Amazon's international sites?
- Not right now. For now, only Amazon.com (the US site) is supported, but we might expand if our users think it's a good idea.
- Does your service work with anyone other than Amazon?
- Not right now, but we might expand if our users think it's a good idea.
How it works
- Will WishRadar see the changes I make to my Amazon wishlist?
- Mostly. We will periodically check in with Amazon and look at the contents of your wishlist. Anything that you've added there will appear in your WishRadar wishlist as well. Anything that you've purchased from Amazon or the Amazon Marketplace, or anything you've deleted from your wishlist will disappear from your WishRadar wishlist. If you want to refresh your Wishlist contents right now, you can do so at the bottom of your preferences page.
- How often will you send me a notification?
- We'll send you a notification any time one of your items moves from above your target price to below your target price. We'll also notify you any time an item that is already below your target price gets substantially cheaper.
- What's up with this whole SMS thing?
- In addition to sending you alerts via email, you can also configure your WishRadar to send you text message alerts to your cell phone. Check the email settings in your preferences to make this happen. Not impressed? Ok, then send a text message to WishRadar when you're out shopping, and we'll let you know how much things cost on Amazon so you can get the best deal. Here's some more info for you.