Guide

5 signs a "discount" isn't real

Last updated 26 September 2026

Most inflated discounts share a handful of tells. None of them prove a deal is fake on their own, but if two or three show up together on the same listing, treat the percentage-off figure with real scepticism.

1. The "sale" has been running for months

Check when you can. A "was" price is only meaningful if the item was genuinely sold at that price for a reasonable stretch beforehand. A "40% off RRP" banner that's been up on the same product for six months straight isn't really a sale — it's just the price.

2. The percentage is round, and the price isn't

A retailer picking a "was" price specifically to hit a clean 50% or 70% off is a common tell. It's not proof of anything by itself, but it's worth a second look, especially paired with any of the signs below.

3. The same item is cheaper (or the same price) elsewhere, undiscounted

If a competitor sells the identical item at or below the "sale" price with no discount attached at all, the reference price was set too high to begin with. This is the single most reliable check, and it's why comparing across retailers matters more than trusting any one store's own claim.

4. Stock is unusually low, or limited to one per customer

A steep discount on a handful of units, capped per customer, is sometimes a genuine loss-leader — but it's also a common way to advertise a headline percentage that almost nobody will actually get to use.

5. The listing has been live and unchanged for a long time

A discount that's still sitting there, unchanged, weeks after it first appeared is more likely to be a standing "sale" price than a genuine time-limited event — check the retailer's page directly before assuming it's still the same offer.