Seasonal · Shopping guide
Holiday Shopping: How to Avoid Fake Discounts
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the weeks around them bring real bargains and a lot of noise. A little preparation lets you tell them apart and buy calmly.
The holiday season, from early November through December, includes some of the lowest prices of the year on many products. It also includes the most aggressive marketing of the year: sale banners on every page, countdown timers, and reference prices that make ordinary prices look exceptional.
The shoppers who do best are not the ones who find the most deals. They are the ones who arrive with a list, know what each item normally costs, and ignore everything else. This guide shows how to prepare, what tricks to watch for, and what to check before you pay.
Prepare a few weeks before the big sales
- Write a list with a budget for each item. Include who it is for, the exact product or a shortlist, and the most you will pay.
- Find the usual price now. Note the price at two or three stores, or watch the item's price history, so you recognize a real drop when it comes.
- Research models in advance. Decide which configuration or size you want before the sales start, when there is no time pressure. For electronics, see our laptop and headphone and speaker guides.
- Check return and price-adjustment policies. Many stores extend return windows for holiday purchases, and some will refund the difference if the price drops soon after you buy. Policies vary, so check each store.
Fake and misleading discounts to watch for
- Inflated reference prices. A "was" price that was charged briefly, long ago, or never. Judge the sale price against the usual price you noted, not the printed one.
- Pre-sale price increases. A product's price rises in the weeks before a sale, then "drops" back to roughly where it was. Tracking the price early is the only reliable defense.
- Special sale models. Some products sold during big sale events, especially TVs and other electronics, have model numbers you will not find at other stores or at other times of year. They may differ from the regular model in panel, ports or features, which makes the discount hard to verify. Compare the specifications, not the size and brand.
- Doorbusters with very limited stock. A real price, but available in small quantities. The rest of the sale may be ordinary.
- Bundles priced to look generous. Value only the items you would buy anyway.
- "Up to" headlines. "Up to 70% off" usually means a few items reach 70%; most do not.
In mid-October you note that a coffee maker sells for $89 at two stores. In late November it is advertised at $79, "was $129, save 39%".
Against the $89 you recorded, the real saving is $10, about 11%. That may still be worth buying if it was on your list, but it is not the deal the banner suggests. (Prices are illustrative.)
Shop safely when you are in a hurry
- Type store addresses yourself or use bookmarks; scam sites and lookalike domains peak during the holidays.
- Be wary of social media ads for unfamiliar stores with prices far below everyone else.
- Pay by credit card or a payment method with buyer protection, never by gift card or wire transfer.
- Check shipping cutoff dates for delivery before a holiday, and the cost of faster shipping.
- Ask for gift receipts, and note each store's return deadline for gifts.
After you buy
Keep order confirmations together and set a reminder before each return or price-adjustment window ends. If an item drops further within a store's adjustment period, ask for the difference. If a gift is unwanted, return it within the window rather than holding on to it.
Using OfferNab during the holidays
OfferNab lists deals from the retailers we track with the price we observed and when we last checked it, so you can compare offers on the same product across stores. If you are signed in, you can watch a deal with a target price from its deal page to keep an eye on an item on your list. Read how to identify a genuine online deal for the four checks that work in any season.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Shopping without a list and buying whatever has the biggest discount.
- Trusting the printed "was" price instead of the price you recorded earlier.
- Comparing a special sale-event model with the regular model by brand and size alone.
- Rushing because of a countdown timer or "only a few left" banner.
- Buying from an unfamiliar store from a social media ad.
- Missing a return window or shipping cutoff during the busiest weeks.
Shopping checklist
Run through this before you buy.
- I have a list with a budget for each item.
- I recorded each item's usual price before the sales started.
- The model number and specifications match what I researched.
- The sale price beats the usual price I recorded, not just the banner's.
- The store's website is genuine and I am paying with buyer protection.
- I know the return deadline, price-adjustment policy and shipping cutoff.
- I have a gift receipt where I need one.
Put this guide to work
Compare current online deals and discounts on OfferNab. You always complete your purchase on the retailer's own site.