Alerts about an item or groups of items.

Include alerts about changes in price, availability, new accessories, related items and reminders.

To set up:

1. Find your item by doing a search (choose a category, such as "DVD", for best results).
   
   
2. Select your item or items by clicking on the SELECT checkbox next to it:
3. Click on the button.
   
   You will then be on the Item Alerts page. Beside each item will be a list of available alerts:
   Click on an alert (e.g. "Price changes") to set it up. You can set up as many alerts for each item as you wish. We explain more about each type of alert below. When done, click on the button.
   
   If you selected more than one item, you will also see an Item Group Alerts tab. This allows you to set up alerts for all the items together.

Alert you when an item or group of items go below a certain price.

After performing a search, select an item or set of items, and click on . Choose the Item Alerts or Item Group Alerts tabs. A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "Price changes" and set up your price alert:

You have the option of matching on:

• The exact item
  
  
• An item with a similar title
  
  This allows you to match on different versions or editions of the same item (e.g. a new release of an old DVD title).

For new prices, we give priority to items sold directly by Amazon. We only check Amazon Marketplace or third party sellers, if Amazon does not directly sell the item or is out of stock.

For used prices, only Amazon Marketplace sellers are checked, as they are the only ones selling used items.

A DVD that you want has just been released. The current price doesn't strike you as good value. You are prepared to wait for the price to drop (as they often do, particularly after they are no longer "hot" new releases). You do a search for the DVD (choose DVD for the category on the search page for best results), select the item and then set up your price alert.

An Item Group Alerts example. You are interested in purchasing a new digital camera. You have several models in mind. You select them all, click on the "Set up alerts" button and then on the Item Group Alerts tab. There, you set up an alert for when any of the cameras drop below a certain price.

Alert you when an item is in stock (new, used or both).

After performing a search, select an item or set of items, and click on . A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "Availability changes" and set up your availability alert:

Note: "in stock" means that an item is available for purchase now. It does not mean that Amazon is currently shipping it (though it will in the future).

You have the option of matching on:

• The exact item
  
  
• An item with a similar title
  
  This allows you to match on different versions or editions of the same item (e.g. a new edition of an old album).

See book alerts for details on availability alerts specific to books.

You love an old CD by Fleetwood Mac. It is listed as "currently unavailable". You set up an availability watch, checking the "in stock as new item" box and the match on title button. Zlert sends you an alert when the CD is back in stock or a new edition has been released.

Another example. You buy quite a few used books each year. A new novel by Janet Evanovich has just been published. You'd like to know as soon as a used copy is available. You click on "Availability changes" and select "in stock as used item". Zlert let's you know when someone is selling their copy on Amazon.

Alert you about new accessories for an item.

After performing a search, select an item or set of items, and click on . A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "New Related Items/Accessories" and set up your accessory alert:

Just check the "New Accessories" box and then click on the "Save Alerts" button. Zlert will search for new accessories every day.

For your birthday, you receive a new iPod Nano and want to keep an eye out for new accessories. You set up a new accessories alert and get notified when new headphones, speakers, cases etc. become available.

A second example. You buy a new digital camera. Setting up a new accessories alert, you'll now know about new lenses, cases, tripods etc. for your new companion.

Alert you about what people who bought a particular item are buying now. For nearly every item sold, Amazon keeps a record of what other items the buyers bought.

They are good way of seeing what people who like what you like are buying. As new items are added to this list of related items, we send you an alert, so you can find out about new products that might interest you.

After performing a search, select an item or set of items, and click on . A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "New Related Items/Accessories" and set up your related items alert:

Just check the "New related items" box and then click on the "Save Alerts" button. Zlert will search for new related items every day.

You loved the movie "Little Miss Sunshine". What other movies are those who loved it buying now? Set up a related items alert for the DVD. We'll watch out for new items that like-minded folks are buying.

Alert you about new items in a category by an actor, director, publisher etc.

After performing a search, select an item or set of items, and click on . A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "New items by the same..." and set up your alert:

Just check the box for the person or company whose products you are interested in. Zlert will search every day for new matching items. We only consider an item as new if it has been released in the past 3 months. Occasionally, if we cannot determine the release date of an item, items older than 3 months will be matched.

Love John Grisham novels? Click on "New items by the same Author", check the "John Grisham as Author" box and save your alert. As soon as Amazon has a new book by him for sale, we'll send you an alert.

An example with a manufacturer. You want to be alerted whenever Amazon sells new items by Apple. Pick out an Apple product, click on the "New items by the same Manufacturer" link and check the box for "Apple as Manufacturer".

Remind you to buy items at a future date.

After performing a search, select an item or set of items, and click on . Choose the Item Alerts or Item Group Alerts tabs. A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "Reminders" and set up your reminder:

Choose the date you want to be reminded on and, optionally, add a note to yourself. You can then either:

• Save the alert and we will remind you by email on the date you chose or
  
  
• Save the alert to your calendar program by clicking on the icon.

Reminder alerts work with Item Alerts and Item Group Alerts, that is you can set them up for a single item or a bunch of items.

Your wife's birthday is in 8 months. You spot something you know she would love. Set up an alert now to be reminded about it just before her birthday.

Alert you when a book is available in paperback, as an audio book, or as an audio download.

After performing a search in the Books category, select an item or set of items, and click on . A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "Availability changes" and set up your book alert:

If the book is not available in paperback, there will be a checkbox for an alert for when it is. Likewise for audio book, audio downloads and Kindle books (audio and Kindle book alerts only available for amazon.com books).

Elmore Leonard has a new book out in hardback. It's $18. You decide to wait for the paperback, when it will probably be ten dollars less. You set up a paperback alert to know when it comes out.

Alert you when a movie or film is out in Blu-ray or HD DVD.

After performing a search in the DVD category, select an item or set of items, and click on . A list of available alerts will be beside each item. Click on "Availability changes" and set up your Blu-ray or HD DVD alert:

As soon as the movie is available in the format you choose, we'll let you know.

You just bought a new Blu-ray DVD player. Not every movie is out in this format yet. You select a bunch of your favorite movies and set up Blu-ray DVD alerts for them.

Search alerts are alerts for matches to a specific search, such as new books by an author, or top selling action DVDs. To set up a search alert, perform your search and then click on the button on the results page:

You should now see a Search Alert tab:

Click on it if it is not selected. Choose how often you would like the search to run and then on the button to save your choices.

Search alerts include regular searches, top seller, new release and wish list searches. We have more details on each kind below.

Allow you to receive regular lists of the top selling items in any category or subcategory.

On the search page, choose a category and/or subcategory and type +TS to get a list of top sellers.

You love a good comedy and want to keep track of the bestselling comedy DVDs. On the search page, choose DVD as the category, comedy as the subcategory, and type +TS in the search box. You should see a list of current best sellers. If you click on the button, you can ask to have this list of top sellers sent to you daily, weekly or monthly. Alternatively, you can subscribe to a feed of this search by clicking on the icon.

Allow you to receive regular lists of the best selling new releases in any category or subcategory.

On the search page, choose a category and/or subcategory and type +NR to get a list of new releases.

Enjoy reading the latest Mysteries? On the search page, choose Books as the category, Mystery & Thrillers as the subcategory, and type +NR in the search box. You should see a list of current best selling new releases. If you click on the button, you can ask to have an updated list sent to you daily, weekly or monthly. Alternatively, you can subscribe to a feed of this search by clicking on the icon.

Allow you to keep track of the items on your or a friend's Amazon wish list.

On the search page, type +WL and an email address to get the current wish list. Note: the wish list must be public, not set to private on Amazon.

You want to keep track of your grandson's wish list. Type in +WL and your grandson's email address on the search page. For example, +WL  joe@acmewell.com. Hit the "Go" button. On the results page click on the button and set up a Search alert for this list. Each day, we will check on the wish list for you, and send you an alert when any items are added to it.

Another example. You add a newly released DVD to your Amazon wish list. The current price is $17.99. You might buy it for yourself if it was a bit cheaper. You type in +WL and your email address, for example, +WL  joe@acmewell.com, in the search box. On the results page you select your DVD (click on the SELECT checkbox next to it) and then on . You set up a price alert to get notified when the price of your DVD drops to $12.99.