How to Spot Fake Discounts: Check Whether a Deal Is Real

70 percent off sounds great but tells you little. Many discounts are based on prices nobody ever paid. Four simple checks show you whether a deal is actually good.

How to recognise fake discounts

A discount is only as honest as the price it is compared with. Shops like to compare with the manufacturer's RRP (UVP in German), but retail prices are often well below it for months. The discount then looks huge even though the price is normal.

Typical warning signs are very high percentages on no-name products, a countdown that restarts once it runs out, and strikethrough prices you can't find anywhere else.

1. Check the price history

The most important step: look at what the product has cost over the past few weeks. Every deal page on perldeals shows a price history that we record ourselves. If the current price is only slightly below the usual price, the deal is weak, no matter how big the percentage is.

2. Compare with other shops

A deal is only good if other retailers aren't selling it for the same or less. Always compare the final price including shipping.

3. Look for the 30-day lowest price

Since May 2022, retailers in Germany must state the lowest price of the last 30 days when they advertise a price reduction (§ 11 Preisangabenverordnung, the German Price Indication Ordinance). If this price is shown, it is a more honest comparison than the RRP.

4. Check the model and variant

Sometimes the offer is for an older model, a stripped-down variant or a refurbished device. Check the model number, storage size and condition before you buy.

How perldeals checks deals

We only list deals whose price we have checked against the price history and other shops. Deals with an obviously artificial strikethrough price are left out. We name the comparison price on every deal page.

FAQ

Is the RRP a good comparison price?

Only to a limited extent. The RRP is a non-binding recommendation from the manufacturer. Many products sell well below it shortly after launch. The price history is more meaningful.

What is an inflated starting price?

An inflated starting price (called a Mondpreis, literally a "moon price", in German) is an artificially high original price that only serves to make a later discount look bigger.