How to spot a fake discount

A discount is a claim about the past, not about the product. When a listing says “was $399”, the only question that matters is whether anyone ever paid $399 — and for how long.

Start with the price history rather than the badge. A genuine drop shows a flat line at the old price for at least a month before the sale. A manufactured one shows a short spike a week or two before the promotion begins, which is the reference price being reset so that the discount has something to measure against.

Then check the same product at two other stores. Real promotions tend to move together, because they usually come from the manufacturer. A discount that only exists at one retailer, on one day, is usually a repricing rather than a saving.

Finally, ask what the floor has been rather than what the badge says. In categories with an annual product cycle, the outgoing flagship keeps falling for months after a successor is announced, so the first discount is almost never the best one. If the only evidence you have is the badge itself, the honest answer is that it is not yet time to buy.

We do not publish prices on this site yet, precisely because we have no verified source for them. When we do, every price will carry the moment it was observed — and anything older than a fortnight will simply not be shown.