They offer gadgets at amazing prices. But are incredibly difficult to get. Love them or hate them, there is no getting away from flash sales for those who go shopping online for their digital fix. You not only have to register in advance, but cometh the hour of the flash sale, and you will have to log in and hit the purchase button before anyone else (and there generally are thousands of them) does. Pausing is not an option - the likes of Messrs. Xiaomi, Lenovo, and YU sell out phones in minutes and sometimes even in seconds. Of course, life would be easier if there were apps dedicated to ensuring that you got your gizmo at a flash sale. Imagine having apps like the five that follow. They might leave you on the wrong side of your friends and in some cases, the law, but would massively improve your chances of grabbing the next gizmo goody up for flash sale! Hit Buy Now - your buy button This is the app that is a must-have for all Flash sales fans. An alarm based cursor, it will automatically head to the ‘purchase’ or ‘buy’ button on a website and tap it at the moment you program it to. Just imagine - you just have to enter the URL of the site of the flash sale, and enter the time at which you want the ‘buy’ button tapped and when the moment arrives, the app will not only open the site and log in, but will also hit the ‘buy’ button literally within micro-seconds of the sales opening. The free version will work with two e-commerce sites, while the pro one will work with five. Just remember to turn it off once you have made your purchase otherwise, it will go right ahead and purchase the same device every time it goes up on flash sale. [related-post] Stop all the clocks Remember that poem of WH Auden’s in which he asks for people to stop all the clocks to mourn for a friend who has just passed away. Well, this app literally does so, though not to mourn the departure of a dear one, but to mark the arrival of a Flash Sale. Launching the app will automatically send out a mail informing your friends of the Flash Sale. And will also install a tiny component (unnoticed of course, by them) which will stop their computer and smartphone clocks exactly five minutes before (in the free version - in the paid version, you can specify any time from ten minutes to ten seconds) the flash sale gets underway. In simple terms, it ensures they are unware that the time has come. IIDGINOD (If I Don’t Get It No One Does) - the flash sale dis-connector Very few things that alleviate the shattering disapppointment that one feels on missing out a gadget in spite of registering for it, logging in at the right time and even hitting the button within moments of a sale opening. But what can make the feeling worse is the sight of all your friends preening on getting what you missed. Well, the IIDGINOD app fixes that - if you fail to make a purchase at a flash sale, just hit the “empty friends’ shopping cart” option and it will automatically cancel all the transactions of your social networks who had been able to purchase the device. Just remember to hit the “empty friends’ shopping cart” option within a minute of failing to make your own purchase. And we would also advise caution while using this app, as it empties everything within your friends’ shopping cart and not just the gadget. The Pro version comes with an authentic error message from the portal, apologising for not being able to complete the transaction. Gimme Gimme Gimme - appy re-purchase You can resent the success of your friends in a Flash Sale where you have failed. Or you can leverage it. Gimme Gimme Gimme (also referred to as Mujhko Bhi De De in its Hindi version) automatically detects which of your friends were able to make a successful purchase in a flash sale and depending on your proximity to him or her, sends them a price for the same item, offering to buy it off them - the closer your friend, the lower the bid (why bring too much money into friendship). The free version scans only a limited number of your friends, while the Pro version scans your complete friend list on your phone and social networks. [related-post] Flash Dis-connect (free edition) Recollect the Pinch in Ocean’s Eleven - the device that could kill all the electricity connections in a particular area? Well, this app is somewhat similar, albeit on a smaller scale (the distance over which the disconnect happens) . When activated, it simply disconnects users in your vicinity from the Internet for a short while, reducing the number of people competing for the Flash Sale. Of course, there are a few pitfalls - people might be able to trace the disconnect to you and subject you to severe verbal and physical abuse (and the service providers might take legal measures too), but on the flip side, a simple tap of a button will enable you to leave several Flash Sale competitors Web-less, albeit for a short period of time. Disclaimer: This piece is written in a light vein and should be read that way.
