Amazon’s website crashes right as its Prime Day began

Packages ride on a conveyor system at an Amazon fulfillment center in Baltimore on August 3, 2017.

Amazon’s website was hit with a glitch during the e-commerce giant’s 2018 Prime Day.

Refreshing the page brings up a different dog, with the message “Sorry – something went wrong on our end”. The day was started in 2015 in celebration of Amazon’s 20th year.

Amazon predicts shoppers will spend $3.4 billion worldwide during the 36-hour period, making it feel like Black Friday in July. Of course, whether or not other retailers benefit from Prime Day depends on how deep of discounts they offer to lure customers, and whether or not those consumers also buy full-priced items.

Packages move along a conveyor belt at the Amazon.com Inc. fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, June 7, 2018.

One affected user writes: “I watched items all day and now I missed out, they are 100% claimed when I finally get to see them”.

Sales for the event are projected to shatter last year’s total by 40% and become Amazon’s new single day record, breaking its 2017 Cyber Monday haul.

Trouble on the site spiked just as the event began at 3 p.m. Additionally, you can find exclusive offers on things like Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscriptions or discount Prime Video rentals.

As usual, Amazon is giving a lot of preference to its own products, with up to 25% off AmazonBasics.

Walmart is having its “Ultimate Summer Savings” sale, with deals on Google products, TVs, toys and games, home furniture, and more.

Ives estimates Alexa – Amazon’s name for the digital voice assistant that powers products like its Echo smart speaker – to be a $1 billion opportunity over the next three years.

Amazon said it expected only a fraction of its 12,000 workers in Germany to join the strike, and that there would be no impact on Prime Day deliveries.

Customers who aren’t interested in signing up for the $119 annual Prime membership, or who are frustrated with the site’s initial technical problems, can check out other retailers.