Black Friday 2025: how to distinguish a real discount from a fake one

Black Friday is not only a great chance to purchase products with big discounts, but also a time to face numerous marketing ploys. Many customers face a problem when discounts are not as profitable as promised. For more information, see the Izvestia article

What are fake discounts?

Fake discounts are a marketing ploy in which the price of a product is artificially inflated, and then a discount is offered, which in fact only returns the product to its usual value. At first glance, this may look like an attractive offer, but, in fact, it's just price manipulation.

How to determine the real discount

Compare the price of the product at the time of sale with its regular price. If it changes significantly, but the product has been on sale at this price for a long time, most likely, the discount is not real.

Check out similar products in other stores. If the price is similar or identical everywhere, then the probability that the discount offered is real is high.

Many online stores use services to track price changes. Such platforms show how long the product has been at its original price and how much the discount correlates with the actual market value.

How not to fall for the tricks with pseudoscides

"Black Friday" is not a reason to buy everything in a row. Before making a purchase, make sure that you really need the product and that the discount on it is real.

Find out more about the store or the platform where you plan to make a purchase. If the reviews are questionable or the seller's rating is low, it is better to look for a similar offer elsewhere.

If a store claims a discount of 90% or more, this is a reason for suspicion. Such discounts may be fake or they may mean that the product has long been discontinued and can be found cheaper elsewhere.

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