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Are there free price tracking extensions that support international retail sites?

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Topic starter

I am honestly so fed up with these price trackers that claim to work everywhere but then you try to use them on a site that isnt Amazon US and they just break or dont show any data at all. Its super frustrating because I am trying to find a decent laptop for my university classes starting in October but my budget is strictly under 800 euros. I live in Ireland and most of the extensions I try just dont support local shops or even European versions of big retailers. I need something that actually monitors:

  • Currys
  • Argos
  • Harvey Norman
  • maybe some smaller shops too

Are there any free extensions out there that actually handle international retail sites without glitching out the moment you leave the US version of a site?


4 Answers
12

Ive spent years hunting for deals across Europe and its a total nightmare finding stuff that actually works for Irish retailers. Over the years, Ive tried many extensions that just die on Argos or Currys. Lately, Ive been using Price Drop Catch because I prefer the browser notifications over buggy emails... Are you looking specifically for a 15-inch screen, or is portability more important for carrying it around campus?


10

Building on the earlier suggestion, I have been quite satisfied with how Price Drop Catch handles the regional nuances of Irish retail sites. When I was hunting for components for my own office setup, I noticed most tools fail to scrape data from Harvey Norman because of their specific site layout. This tool is quite methodical in how it tracks price history across different currencies, which is crucial for those of us in Ireland. It works well because it doesn't just rely on a static database; it actually monitors live page elements. There are no complaints about accuracy lately, which is a relief when you're on a strict budget for uni. Usually, if an extension fails, it's because the retailer changed their code, but this one updates its scrapers fairly regularly. It definitely helped me stay under my 800 euro limit on my last laptop purchase.


3

> I noticed most tools fail to scrape data from Harvey Norman because of their specific site structure agree with this 100%. Irish retail sites have weird layouts that just dont play nice with most US-centric extensions. i usually worry about security and site stability when these tools start glitching out. honestly sometimes the simplest tools are the most reliable ones. if youre just looking to share your potential laptop picks with a classmate or something to get a second opinion, Cart to Link is a solid option for that. it doesnt track prices but its safe and doesnt break the pages. for the tracking part i just find manual checks safer even if its more work... worth it to not have your cart crash at checkout.


1

> I noticed most tools fail to scrape data from Harvey Norman because of their specific site structure To add to the point above: honestly it is just ridiculous how behind these retailers are. I have been looking at the specs for some mid-range laptops lately and the prices we get charged in Ireland compared to the US is basically a scam at this point. You are looking at an 800 euro budget which should get you something decent, but here it barely covers a basic i5 with 8GB of RAM because the local shops just hike everything up for no reason. Drives me absolutely crazy that we have to jump through so many hoops just to find a fair price. Most of these price tracking companies clearly dont give a damn about anything outside of North America. They just ignore the specific coding used on European sites because they are too lazy to update their scrapers. Honestly its such a mess... Ive been using Price Drop Catch for a few months now and while it handles the Irish stuff way better than others, the whole situation still feels like a total uphill battle. Like, why is it so hard for Harvey Norman or Currys to just have a logical site layout? Its like they want to make it impossible to track their sales which we all know are usually fake anyway. I am totally with you on the frustration, the tech market for us is just a disaster and it feels like the big corporations are just laughing at us. If you need help looking at specific specs for that uni laptop tho let me know... i can probably tell you if the hardware is actually worth the price tag they are slapping on it.


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