Is That Early Holiday Deal or Fake Discount? Our Shopping Expert Chimes In
If you plan on shopping during early holiday sales, double-check prices before you buy.
Retailers like Amazon and Walmart are gearing up for early holiday sales, which could include discounts on tech, kitchen gadgets, and toys. However, it can be hard to determine if these deals are genuine or if retailers are inflating prices to make the discounts seem more significant. A survey from CNET found that 43% of US adults are frustrated by fake or misleading discounts, while 35% are concerned about inflated baseline costs.
To distinguish between a genuine deal and a fake one, James Bricknell, CNET's managing editor for deals, recommends looking out for inflated recommended retail prices, which can make a small discount appear larger than it is. Retailers may inflate the recommended retail price to make the discount seem more attractive, but the actual savings may only be 5% or 10%.
Bricknell also suggests comparing prices across retailers and checking the brand's official website for the base price before making a purchase. He advises being cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, as they may not be as significant as they appear.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
