How to Spot Fake Discounts Before You Buy
“70% off” — a number designed to make you tap “Buy now”. But many of those percentages are calculated from an inflated “before” price, and the final price may be no cheaper than last month. Here’s how to tell a real discount from a fake one in under a minute.
What is a fake discount?
A fake discount is when a store quietly raises a product’s price shortly before a sale, then advertises a big “reduction” from that inflated price. The result is an eye-catching percentage while the actual price barely dropped — sometimes it’s even above the past months’ average.
3 signs of a fake discount
- A sudden pre-sale jump: if the price spiked in the two weeks before the “deal”, the discount is probably inflated.
- An unusually high “before” price: compare the “was” price to the 90-day average; if it’s far higher, it’s a marketing number.
- Today’s price isn’t the lowest: the item may have sold for less a few weeks ago.
The golden rule: check the price history
The one number that never lies is the price history. Before buying, ask: is this the lowest price in 90 days? If the product dropped lower before, it can drop again.
How Smart Shopper helps
We analyse every product’s price history automatically and add a clear label: real discount, possibly fake, or lowest price in 90 days — so you know the truth before you pay. Browse the latest deals or today’s best deals, and set a price alert on any product so we tell you the moment it genuinely drops.
Bottom line: don’t be fooled by a big percentage — look at the real price and its history, and let the data decide instead of the red sticker.
