A short-lived Amazon Brasil site problem reportedly let some shoppers stack discount coupons on January 26, 2022, making certain purchases free or unusually cheap. It was not a current promotion or a verified marketplace-wide giveaway: the available reporting does not establish that thousands of products were free, how many orders were affected, or whether those orders were ultimately fulfilled.
How the Amazon Brasil coupon glitch reportedly worked
Canaltech reported that customers were able to combine discount coupons that normally could not be used together. The coverage described the incident as a possible system error and said the offers applied to new accounts. It did not publish complete coupon terms or establish that every customer could reproduce the discounts. Canaltech’s January 26, 2022 report described a limited incident, not a standing offer.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Amazon eGift Card - Amazon Logo | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Amazon eGift Card - Happy Birthday | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Amazon eGift Card - Birthday Wishes | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Amazon Physical Gift Card in a Gift Box - Better than Gold - Black | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Amazon Physical Gift Card in a Mini Envelope - Candlelight Celebration | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
What products were mentioned—and what the numbers mean
Books and games were among the examples in Canaltech’s coverage. The report also relayed user claims that a Kindle e-reader could be obtained for free or nearly free; those were reported claims, not independently verified prices available to all shoppers.
Canaltech gave R$399 as the Kindle’s original price in 2022. That figure was not an independently confirmed incident sale price. The article’s headline referred to “thousands of items,” but its reporting does not establish that thousands of distinct products were free or that any particular total of free purchases occurred.
#1 Best Overall
- Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and carry no fees.
- Multiple gift card designs and denominations to choose from.
- Redeemable towards millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com or certain affiliated websites.
- Available for immediate delivery. Gift cards sent by email can be scheduled up to a year in advance.
- No returns and no refunds on Gift Cards.
Why customers had trouble checking out
Canaltech said heavy traffic made account creation and checkout difficult, and that DownDetector complaints increased around 8 a.m. The article also reported that many shoppers created secondary accounts to try to use the coupons. It cited more than one million Twitter posts involving the marketplace; that was a count of posts, not unique customers, orders, or free products. Canaltech’s incident coverage is the source for these contemporaneous figures.
Did Amazon cancel or honor orders made during the glitch?
The eventual outcome of individual orders is not established in the reviewed reporting. Amazon Brasil told Canaltech that there had been a problem on its site, that it was quickly corrected, and that the company would contact affected customers. The outlet asked whether orders placed during the incident would be maintained or canceled, but said Amazon repeated its existing statement without answering that question.
Rank #2
- Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and carry no fees.
- Multiple gift card designs and denominations to choose from.
- Redeemable towards millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com or certain affiliated websites.
- Available for immediate delivery. Gift cards sent by email can be scheduled up to a year in advance.
- No returns and no refunds on Gift Cards.
Canaltech reproduced Amazon Brasil’s statement: “Lamentamos qualquer inconveniente causado e entraremos em contato com os clientes impactados”. This confirms the company’s reported response, not whether any particular order was later shipped, canceled, or refunded. The reporting also does not establish the number of affected customers, the total number of items purchased, or a final regulatory outcome.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Gift Card is redeemable towards millions of items storewide at Amazon.com
- Gift Card has no fees and no expiration date
- Gift Card is affixed inside a mini envelope
- Free One-Day Shipping (where available)
- Scan and redeem any Gift Card with a mobile or tablet device via the Amazon App
Rank #4
- Gift Card is redeemable towards millions of items storewide at Amazon.com
- Gift Card has no fees and no expiration date
- Gift Card is nested inside a specialty gift box
- Free One-Day Shipping (where available)
- Scan and redeem any Gift Card with a mobile or tablet device via the Amazon App
Rank #3
- Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and carry no fees.
- Multiple gift card designs and denominations to choose from.
- Redeemable towards millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com or certain affiliated websites.
- Available for immediate delivery. Gift cards sent by email can be scheduled up to a year in advance.
- No returns and no refunds on Gift Cards.
What to do if you receive an unexpected Amazon order message
- Open Amazon’s official app or type Amazon’s address into your browser yourself. Do not follow a link in an unexpected email or text to sign in.
- Check the account’s order history to see whether the order appears. Amazon’s Brazil customer guidance recommends checking orders through the account.
- Do not provide payment details or account credentials in response to a phone call, email, or message claiming there is a problem with an order. Amazon’s guidance on suspicious messages warns customers about suspicious links and payment requests.
- If a package arrives for an order you did not place, consult Amazon’s Brazil safety guidance before accepting it; the page advises customers not to accept such a package. Use support details shown on Amazon’s official site and verify that they are current.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
