In honor of a fake deal we’ve happened upon today, we are going to kick off a new series called #FakeDealFridays. Get Excited!
Chances are that you’ve been had by a “Deal “that wasn’t as it seemed.
How Does This Happen?
Sellers artificially inflate the price and then issue a promo code to offset that raise. Though the price may seem attractive to the naked eye, it seems like an opportunity. The seller is attempting to leverage psychology to captivate us much like a shiny lure attacking a fish.
It’s natural to be irritated by this misleadaging practice but, regardless of how you feel about it, the truth is that it works and so isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon.
Don’t let them reel you in!
We’re discussing examples like these to illustrate what fake deals can look like.:
and to discuss how you can protect yourself against them
How Can You Protect Yourself?
Don’t let them reel you in!
Use our tips to vet and maximize every deal you consider buying.
The image to the right is the inflated deal we happened upon today. To the naked eye $15 spent for $30 product might make you double take, but let’s take a closer look.
Kidding aside, the slogan may be right on point.
A quick trip to camelcamelcamel.com reveals a longstanding price of $15 for this item until, curiously, the price was increased to $30.
Meanwhile, affiliates that publish “deals” like this one were issued a code for 50% off, the particulars of which you can see below the pricing trend.
Anybody who buys this item would be disappointed to learn that it never really was on sale in the first place.
What Does A Favorable Price Trend Look Like?
In short, the opposite of the one above..
A sharp decline in the current price with more variability of the price over time.
This demonstrates that the price varies dynamically and we can be confident that when it drops sharply, that’s more like it!
We suggest you buy only what you will soon need and exercise restraint to avoid accumulating clutter.
On the other hand, this post includes a price trend that is more favorable than this example.
Well below average and lowest ever prices are great, but there is no guarantee the price won’t continue to drop.
The art of the Deal Method is knowing a deal when you see one, thereby fulfilling a need that would otherwise turn into an impulse buy.
The Bottom Line:
A Deal isn’t a deal when it’s pure salesmanship or marketing. Deals exist intermixed with mediocre alternatives and its critical that you learn how to quickly thumb through them, passing over the duds, like this, and grabbing onto the unicorns before someone else can beat you to the punch.’
We’ll be sharing these Fake Deals as often as we come upon them for two reasons.
1. Integrity is important and tactics like this are dishonest at best
2. To revisit the importance of vetting your deals, price comparing between stores (with trends when available), and demonstrate how you can build this into your process seamlessly. Stay tuned and follow us on social below to engage real-time!
