We all love a good deal, but that sale price might not actually be saving you as much as you think.
Amazon is facing a lawsuit for allegedly misleading customers with “fake sales” during its popular Prime Day sale.
Consumer Reports deals editor Samantha Gordon regularly tracks prices on hundreds of products. She warns retailers use tactics like raising the original price right before a sale to make it seem like you’re getting a larger discount.
“You think you’re getting a deal, and really, you’re getting the same price that you would have paid two weeks ago,” Gordon said. “This is where they get you.”
With the holiday shopping season underway, Gordon said there are tools you can use to check if that advertised discount is a real deal.
Her go-to? Price history trackers.
“There are extensions that you can install on your browser, and there are apps that you can use,” she said.
Gordon said she uses Keepa and Camelizer, which is a browser extension for the website CamelCamelCamel.com.
“They both track prices only on Amazon, but if it’s sold on Amazon, it’s going to be sold at Walmart, it’s going to be sold at Best Buy, at Target,” Gordon said. “You can use this information regardless of where you’re shopping.”
Gordon demonstrated how Keepa works while shopping for an Apple iPad listed on Amazon for $299, with an advertised $50 discount.
But the price history revealed that it’d frequently been listed at $299 since May, according to Gordon. The price history also showed the tablet was marked down by another $20 during Amazon’s recent Prime Day sale.
“Odds are, for Black Friday, it’s going to dip down again,” she said.
Google also has a price insights feature on its shopping pages to help you determine if something is typically priced higher or lower than usual. The CapitalOne Shopping browser extension can help you compare prices across different retailers.
Gordon also has this advice when shopping for deals:
- Compare the competition. Check other retailers to see if the same item is available for a lower price, even if it’s not on sale.
- Be mindful of urgency tactics. Retailers use phrases like “only a few left” or “limited time offer” to pressure you into buying quickly.
- Consider your budget. A deal isn’t a good deal if you are spending money you weren’t planning to spend otherwise.
Some retailers have policies where they will refund you the difference if you buy an item that then goes on sale, according to Gordon. Many also have price-match policies if you see the same item for less at a different retailer, or even on the retailer’s own website or app.
