- How to tell if a discount is genuine or inflated
- Why “SALE” in the title means nothing without a real price reduction
- What Dealiroo filters out — and what you should still check yourself
Not every discount is what it seems. Online retailers — even big, trusted ones — sometimes inflate the original price to make a sale look more impressive. A “50% off” tag means nothing if the item was never really sold at the full price.
Here’s how to tell whether a deal is genuine before you click buy.
Check the “was” price against reality
The single biggest trick in online retail: list an item at an inflated price for a short period, then “discount” it back to what it was always worth. That “was $199, now $99” deal might be a genuine half-price bargain — or the product might have been selling for $99 for the last six months.
How to check: Search the product name on a couple of different sites. If the same item is listed for roughly the same price everywhere, the “original” price on the deal listing was probably inflated. If other retailers are still charging close to the “was” price, the discount is likely real.
Watch out for “sale” in the title with no actual price reduction
Some sellers add “SALE” or “DISCOUNT” or “CLEARANCE” to a product title without actually changing the price. It’s a search tactic, not a genuine offer. The item shows up when people filter for deals, but you’re paying the same price as everyone else.
How to check: Look at the actual numbers. Is there a visible “was” price and “now” price? Is the discount percentage shown? If the title screams “DEAL” but the price tells a different story, keep scrolling.
Check seller ratings, not just the price
A rock-bottom price from a seller with zero feedback and a store that’s been open for two weeks is not the same as a similar price from a seller with thousands of positive reviews. You’re not just buying the product — you’re buying from a specific seller who may or may not deliver.
How to check: On eBay, look at the seller’s feedback percentage and total reviews. On AliExpress, check the store rating and how long they’ve been selling. On Amazon, look at who’s actually fulfilling the order — Amazon themselves, or a third-party seller?
Too good to be true usually is
A brand-new iPhone for $300. Designer shoes for $40. A $2,000 TV for $500. These are not deals — they’re almost certainly scams, counterfeit products, or listings designed to collect your payment details.
How to check: Search the product at full price across multiple retailers. If the “deal” price is dramatically lower than every other listing on the internet, walk away.
What Dealiroo does — and doesn’t — filter
We try to catch the obvious stuff. Products with no visible discount don’t belong in our “Best Deals” sections. We deprioritise sellers with very low ratings. But we can’t manually verify every one of the thousands of deals that flow through the site daily. The final check is always yours.
If you spot a deal on Dealiroo that looks fake — inflated original price, misleading listing, or something that just doesn’t add up — let us know. We’ll investigate and update or remove the listing if needed.