Black Friday Deal Analyzer
Find out if a sale is a genuine bargain or a fake markdown — before you buy.
Price Inputs
$
$
$
The lowest price this item has ever sold for. Check CamelCamelCamel or Google Shopping history.
$
The average selling price over the past 30 days. Available from price-tracking tools.
How to Spot Fake Black Friday Deals
Many retailers inflate the "original" price weeks before Black Friday to make the discount look bigger than it is. Here's what to watch for:
- Check the price history. Use CamelCamelCamel (Amazon), Google Shopping history, or Honey to see if the "original" price was ever actually charged — or just invented.
- The "was $X, now $Y" trick. If the item was $X for only 2 days in the past year and regularly sells for $Y − 5%, the discount is misleading.
- Look at the historical low. If the Black Friday price is higher than or equal to the all-time low, the deal is nothing special. You've likely seen this price (or better) before.
- Bundle padding. Some deals include low-value accessories in a bundle to inflate the perceived value. Value the items you actually want individually.
- Model year switcheroo. Electronics discounts often apply to last year's model, while the current version sells at full price nearby.
- The "limited time" pressure. Artificial urgency is designed to stop you from researching. If it's a good deal today, it'll still be a good deal in 10 minutes — take a breath and check the price history first.
A genuine Black Friday deal is one where the sale price is at or near the historical low, and the discount off the actual regular price (not the inflated MSRP) is meaningful — typically 20% or more.