Prime Day is a shopping holiday, so actually being able to shop should be an important part of that. Or not. Users are reporting problems actually checking out when they try to make purchases on Amazon, which would sort of defeat the whole point of having a shopping-themed holiday.

One user discovered that success in adding items to one’s cart just takes patience, and trying over and over.

Some users have even been unable to access the site at all.

Naturally, small independent bookstores, sworn ememies of Amazon, took the opportunity to make fun of the e-commerce giant.

They aren’t the only competitors for your dollars today, of course: Walmart and Best Buy notably have their own deals ready to go today, and

If your Prime Day has been especially good or especially bad, let us know: you can e-mail us, or tag Consumerist in your Twitter or Facebook posts.

Amazon shoppers have trouble checking out on Prime Day [CNBC] (Warning: auto-play video)

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