How to Tell If a Deal Is Actually Good
A big "% off" badge doesn't always mean you're getting a good price. Retailers routinely inflate a "was" price right before a sale, so the discount looks bigger than it is. Here's what actually matters when judging a deal.
1. Check the price history, not just the discount
The single most reliable signal is whether the sale price is genuinely lower than what the item has sold for recently — not just lower than an inflated "original" price. Each deal page on DealzScan tracks a price history table for exactly this reason: if a "50% off" item has been sitting at the same "sale" price for three weeks, it's not really a discount, it's just the price.
2. Compare against multiple retailers
The same product is often sold by more than one retailer at different prices. Before buying, it's worth a quick check that the "deal" price is actually competitive against other stores, not just against its own inflated list price.
3. Watch for review count and rating, not just price
A steep discount on a product with very few reviews or a low rating is often a sign of overstock or a product being phased out — not necessarily a bad buy, but worth knowing before you commit.
4. Bigger discount percentage ≠ bigger savings
70% off a $20 item saves you $14. 20% off a $200 item saves you $40. If your goal is maximizing savings rather than maximizing discount percentage, sort by dollars saved, not percent off.
5. How DealzScan scores deals
Every deal on DealzScan gets a Deal Score that blends discount percentage, dollars saved, retailer track record, and popularity signals like rating and review count — so a heavily-discounted item with poor reviews won't automatically outrank a smaller, more trustworthy discount. Deals scoring highest are marked "Hot." See the full Deal Score methodology for exactly what does and doesn't factor in — including the fact that affiliate commissions never do.