How to spot a fake discount before you click buy
Inflated “was” prices, permanent countdown timers and coupon stacking tricks. A short checklist for judging whether a deal is real.
A discount is only meaningful against a price that was genuinely charged. Retailers know this, which is why so many “was” prices are set with the sale in mind. Here is how we judge a deal before featuring it.
Check the reference price
Look for a price history, not just the crossed-out number on the listing. If the product has been at the “sale” price for months, the discount is decoration. Price-tracking tools and archived pages help; so does waiting a week and looking again.
Distrust permanent urgency
A countdown that resets when you reload the page is a marketing device, not a deadline. Genuine time-limited offers usually state the end date and time in plain text.
Compare the final total
Shipping, taxes, import duties and currency conversion can erase a headline saving. Compare the landed cost, especially when buying across borders. A lower sticker price with expensive shipping is not a better deal.
Check the seller and warranty
On marketplace listings, the seller matters as much as the price. Check ratings, return windows and whether the warranty is valid in your country. A suspiciously cheap listing from a new seller is a risk, not a bargain.
Use more than one merchant
We show offers from multiple networks for exactly this reason. Open two or three and compare the price, the seller and the return policy. Our Top Deals page labels the check date on every offer; treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee.
