How to Know if Amazon is Tricking You or It’s REALLY a Good Deal

It so easy to fall into the Amazon trap, where you click “But It Now” and never spend the few seconds required to determine if you’re actually getting a decent deal. The Amazon brain trust does a great job with all the lightning deals, slashed prices, and those “Only 3 Left!” panic buttons. Half the time it’s just clever marketing and you’re blindly paying full retail price. So how do you know if you’re getting played like a fiddle? Let’s dig in and I’ll show ya.

1. Use Amazon’s “Rufus” to Check the Price History

So you’re thinking of buying that cool air fryer marked down to $49.99 from $89.99? Sounds amazing… until you investigate the price and realize it’s been $49.99 for six straight months.

To investigate the price using Rufus (Amazon’s AI assistant), on the Amazon app, tap the little colored chat “bubbles” in the bottom right corner (see screenshot above) when you’re on the product page.

Then tap or say “Show price history” and it will show you the pricing history of any particular item within the last 30 or 90 days. At that point you can tell how “real” the deal is.

If the pricing history shows that the price bounces around a lot, and right now the price is on an upswing, just set a price alert with the Keepa or CamelCamelCamel browser extension and get notified when the price drops.

2. Look for Coupons You Might’ve Missed

Yes, Amazon has coupons, but they kinda try to hide them.

A $32.99 gadget might actually be $22.99, but only if you check the little “Apply $10 Coupon” box many shoppers overlook.

Amazon buries these little coupon boxes sometimes to keep the price from looking too low in the search results.

Also, use Rufus once again and ask “Are there any coupons or deals for the items in my cart?” – Rufus then does a quick examination of the items in your Amazon cart and tells you if you’re missing any coupons or money saving opportunities.

Pretty clever way to make sure you never miss a coupon again.

PRO TIP: SPOT A COUPON

Scroll carefully and look for green “Coupon” checkboxes under the price. These apply at checkout, not before.

You can also filter for “Deals with Coupons” on Amazon’s homepage.

3. Ignore the Strikethrough Price

Amazon sellers set their own “list prices” which means that $199.99 “retail” list price could be pure fiction.

The strikethrough price is almost ALWAYS inflated to make a small discount seem HUGE. On Amazon this is especially common with electronics, accessories, and home goods.

PRO TIP: GOOGLE IT INSTEAD

Google the product name and model number to see what it sells for at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, or the brand’s official website. If Amazon’s “discount” still holds up, then it’s legit.

See Also: Amazon Savings Hacks You Gotta Be Using

4. Watch Out for Add-On Traps 

That $4.99 phone stand looks great until you see it’s an “Add-On” Item, meaning you can only buy it as part of a $25+ order.

It’s a clever way to get you to spend more than you planned, like a lot more. Other listings jack up shipping fees or offer cheap base models that become pricey once you add basic features.

PRO TIP: SORT BABY SORT

Sort your results by “Price + Shipping: Low to High” to get a true sense of cost. And always double check for sneaky upsells in the “customize” section.

5. Know When You’re Buying from Amazon—Or a Random Third Party

If the deal’s coming straight from Amazon, you’re probably good. But if it’s some random third-party seller shipping from who-knows-where?

That’s when things get sketchy. Quality’s a gamble, returns can be a nightmare, and who knows when (or if) it’ll even show up. Even worse, a lot of them sell cheap knockoffs that look like the real thing…until you actually open the box.

PRO TIP: KNOW WHO’S SELLING THE ITEM

Before you hit “Buy Now” scroll down and check the “Sold by” and “Ships from” info. If it’s not Amazon (or at least a seller with tons of good reviews) you might wanna think twice.

Especially if it’s over 30 bucks or has a brand name slapped on it. That’s when the sketchy stuff usually sneaks in.

6. Don’t Fall for Urgency Traps (“Only 6 Left!” is Crap)

Have you ever noticed that “Only 6 left in stock – order soon” warning on some products? Keep in mind that it’s often automated or based on arbitrary limits set by the seller.

Same goes for “Order in the next 3 hours to get it tomorrow.” Amazon knows urgency triggers impulsive buying and they are constantly trying to get you to click the “Buy It Now” button.

PRO TIP: TAKE A DEEP BREATH

If it’s not a true Lightning Deal or Deal of the Day, take a breath.

Put the item in your cart or wish list, and watch it for a couple days. Spoiler: it’ll still be there.

See Also: How to Find AWESOME Hidden Deals on Amazon

7. Be Wary of “#1 Best Seller” and “Amazon’s Choice” Badges

Those little labels that say “Best Seller” or “Amazon’s Choice” look all official but they’re just pumped out by an algorithm.

And it been my experience that sellers know how to game the system to their advantage. So always remember that “Amazon’s Choice” doesn’t mean it’s the best deal out there.

Keep in mind that it usually just means it ships fast and has okay-ish reviews.

PRO TIP: USE FAKESPOT.COM

Don’t just skim the reviews and call it good. Instead, read ‘em like a skeptic.

If you see a bunch of reviews that all sound the same, are loaded with weird grammar, or there’s suddenly a flood of perfect 5-star ratings outta nowhere, something’s up.

If it feels fishy, it probably is. You can even run the listing through a tool like FakeSpot.com if you really wanna be sure.

8. Compare Pack Sizes and Price Per Unit

You see a pack of 12 protein bars for $15 and think, “Great deal!”…but the 6-pack next to it is $6.

A little math tells me the 6-pack is actually cheaper per bar. Here’s the thing…Amazon doesn’t always show unit pricing clearly, so it’s on you to always double check.

PRO TIP: CALCULATOR IS YOUR FRIEND

Just grab your phone and do the math. Price divided by ounces, count, or whatever. Doesn’t have to be pretty. Just figure out what’s actually cheaper.

Especially with groceries, random house stuff, shampoo…all that junk. Sizes are never the same and half the time the “deal” isn’t even a deal. Takes like two seconds, saves you a bunch.

9. Don’t Be Swayed by “Frequently Bought Together” or Sponsored Listings

Those “you might also like” things? Yeah, they’re not there to save you money.

Half the time it’s just paid ads or Amazon pushing more expensive crap.

Like, no, your $19 blender does not need a $30 bottle brush. You don’t need half that stuff unless you actually, like, need it.

PRO TIP: MAKE A LIST & STICK TO IT

Stick to your list. If a product you’ve never heard of magically shows up in your cart, Amazon’s algorithm just won.

BONUS TIP: Sort Reviews By Most Recent

This really smart tip comes from Debbie in comments section. She said that when there’s a lot of reviews, she’s gotten in the habit of sorting them by “Most Recent”.

Why? She summed it up best, “Products change over the years, sometimes for the better, usually for the worse. This gives you reviews what is the product like NOW.”

Love it, thanks Debbie!

Ask the Reader: The best deals are often the quiet ones with NO gimmicks, just a solid price from a reputable seller. How do you go about finding “real” deals on Amazon? Any tips I may have missed? Let me know.

By Kyle James

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)