Fake Sales and the Lies They Tell: A Detective's Guide to Not Getting Played
2026-02-01 · BuyGetRewards Bodacious Staff
Gather 'round, children, because your uncle at BuyGetRewards is about to save you from the oldest trick in the digital book: the fake sale.
You've seen them. "Was $299, NOW $89!!!" with a countdown timer screaming that you have 47 minutes to CLAIM THIS DEAL before it vanishes into the ether like Keyser Soze.
Spoiler: that product was never $299. That timer resets every day. And there are not "only 2 left in stock." There are 2,000. They're in a warehouse in New Jersey right now, not going anywhere.
How the Scam Works
It's stupidly simple. Seller lists a product with an inflated "original price" that nobody ever actually paid. Then they show you a "discount" that's really just... the normal price. But your brain sees "70% OFF" and starts releasing dopamine like you just won the lottery.
This is called anchoring. The high fake price is the anchor. Everything looks good compared to the anchor. Congratulations, you've been psychologically manipulated by a product listing. Don't feel bad — it happens to the best of us.
The Tools That Kill Fake Deals
Price history extensions — Install one. Right now. I'll wait. These browser tools show you what a product actually sold for over the past 3-6 months. If the "sale" price is the same as the regular price? Fake sale. Exposed. Next.
Multi-retailer comparison — If one retailer shows a product at "40% off $200" and three other retailers sell the same product at $120 with no discount tag... that "original" $200 was fiction. Creative fiction. Should've won a Pulitzer.
Review analysis — Some products have suspiciously perfect reviews. Tools exist that analyze review patterns and flag the sketchy ones. If a product has 5,000 five-star reviews and they all read like they were written by the same robot, trust your gut.
The 24-Hour Rule
Here's the simplest defense against fake urgency: wait 24 hours. Real deals on real products will still be there tomorrow. The only deals that vanish overnight are the ones designed to exploit your impulse. Let them vanish. You didn't need whatever it was anyway.
The BuyGetRewards Promise
Every deal we post on this site? We've checked. Price history verified. Multiple retailers compared. No inflated anchor prices. No fake countdowns. Just actual deals that actually save you actual money.
Because life's too short to get played by a countdown timer in a New Jersey warehouse.
