The Microsoft Store is no stranger to promotional deals - indeed, on most of its product lines, you"ll find freebies, discounts and other offers popping up every few weeks, perhaps even more frequently in some cases.
But a wide range of deals available at the Microsoft Store in both the US and the UK are coming to an end this week, on Thursday, June 30. It"s surely no coincidence that that"s the date on which the company"s 2016 fiscal year ends.
Check out some of the offers that will be coming to a close in the next few days.
Band 2
Microsoft has stretched the definition of "special offers" on many of its products, by running promotional deals for months at a time, and/or with only a few days between often identical deals. After offering three discounts on the Band 2 in just four weeks earlier this year, it slashed 25% off the wearable device in April, bringing its price down from £199.99 to £149.99 until June 30.
It"s a similar state of play in the US, where Microsoft has cut 30% off the Band 2 four times in two months. The latest deal started a few weeks ago, cutting its price from $249.99 to $174.99 - but it won"t end on June 30, running instead until July 9.
In fact, by the time that deal ends in the US, the Band 2 will have spent 85 out of 112 days - or 76% of that retail period - with $75 off its full price. Special offers aren"t quite so special when they"re available nearly all of the time.
Lumia
Perhaps the most absurd of Microsoft"s "special offers" in the UK is its five-month-long 27%-off deal on the Lumia 640 XL, reducing the Windows Phone 8.1 handset from £219 to £159.99. Officially, this discount is due to end on June 30 - but given that the device is now over a year old, it"s extremely unlikely to return to its original price. Indeed, given that the 640 XL"s price has also been reduced by a third in the US, the UK "discount" seems more like a permanent price cut dressed up as a special offer in an effort to make the deal appear more attractive.
In a two-month discount, the Lumia 550 has also been available in the UK with £10 off its SIM-free price, reducing it to £89.99 until June 30. However, you can get an unlocked Lumia 550 for just £49.99 elsewhere, so there"s little point in paying the higher price from the Microsoft Store.
Surface
In yet another two-month UK special offer ending on June 30, the Surface 3 Docking Station has been available with 40% off its regular £164.99 price, bringing it down to £98.99.
The Surface 3 itself is currently being sold at full price in the UK, but in the US, it"s available with $100 off until July 3. However, stocks are extremely low, and will remain so; Microsoft said this week that it continues operating with limited inventory of the Surface 3 before ending production by the end of the year.
US buyers can also get $30 off the $199.99 Surface Dock when purchasing any Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book until June 30.
Back in the UK, the 1TB Surface Pro 4 (£2,199) and Surface Book (£2,649) are currently available to pre-order. Until June 30, the Microsoft Store is offering a £45 freebie with each of these devices.
Xbox
In the UK, various deals on the Xbox One are due to end on June 30. This includes discounts on certain bundles, a free personalized controller battery hatch with your Gamertag on it (an offer that was originally due to end on June 16), and free Xbox Gift Cards of varying amounts.
Some similar offers are also due to expire on June 30 in the US. However, with the new Xbox One S on the horizon, it"s likely that we"ll see many more offers on the current Xbox One in the weeks ahead, on both sides of the Atlantic.
There may well be more offers available across the Microsoft Store sites in the US and UK that are coming to an end this week - but don"t be too hasty before you rush to take advantage of them. It"s worth repeating that Microsoft runs deals on its products with remarkable frequency, so even if you miss out on one of these offers, there"s a good chance that more - and perhaps even better - deals will come along soon.