How to Tell If an Online Deal Is Really a Deal

A ₹4,999 price with ₹9,999 struck through above it does something to your brain. It feels like you've already saved five thousand rupees, before you've even decided whether you want the thing.

That feeling is the whole point of the strike-through. It's also often wrong. The useful question isn't "how much is it off?" but "is this a good price for this product, today, including everything I'll pay?" Only the second question saves you money.

Here are six checks that answer it. Most take under a minute, and together they tell you whether you're looking at a deal or a costume.

Why the discount badge is a bad guide

MRP is a ceiling, not a price

In India, packaged goods carry a maximum retail price, and sellers can't charge above it. But nothing stops a brand from setting the MRP well above what the product ever really sells for. When a product has never once sold near its MRP, "60% off" simply describes its normal price.

You'll see this most in fashion, home goods, small appliances and accessories, where the MRP often reads more like a suggestion than a price anyone pays.

The strike-through has no fixed meaning

The crossed-out number might be the MRP, last week's price, the price of a different variant, or a "list price" nobody has charged in months. Unless the page says which, treat it as decoration.

Check 1: Look at the price over time

The only fair comparison is against what the product has actually sold for recently.

• Add things you plan to buy to your wishlist weeks ahead and note the price every so often. A dated screenshot is enough.
• If you use a price-history tool or extension, look at the typical and lowest price over the past few months, not just yesterday's.
• Watch for prices that climb in the days before a big sale. A "drop" back to the old price isn't a drop.

If today's price is close to the usual price, the deal is mostly the badge. If it's well below anything you've seen, take it seriously.

Check 2: Compare the same thing across stores

Search for the exact product on two or three other platforms and on the brand's own site. Match the details before you compare:

• Model number or SKU, not just the name. Electronics in particular come in variants that look identical on a listing.
• Size, pack count and colour. A lower price on a smaller pack is not a lower price.
• Seller. The same product from an authorised seller and from an unknown one isn't the same purchase.
• Warranty. Some listings carry brand warranty, some a seller warranty, and some none at all.

Our guide to comparing products online shows how to line these up side by side without losing track.

Check 3: Work out the unit price

For anything sold by weight, volume or count, the pack price tells you very little. Divide the price by the quantity and compare that instead.

• 400 g at one price vs 1 kg at another: compare the price per 100 g.
• A pack of six vs a pack of ten: compare the price per piece.
• A "value pack" or "combo" can cost more per unit than buying singles. It happens more often than you'd expect.

Many listings now show a per-unit price under the main one. If yours doesn't, your phone's calculator takes ten seconds. And bigger isn't automatically better: a large pack of something perishable is only cheap if you finish it.

Check 4: Be honest about bundles

Bundles and "buy 2, get 1" offers can be genuinely good. They can also be a way to sell you things you didn't come for. Ask two questions:

1. Would I have bought every item in this bundle anyway? If one item is filler, take its value out of your sums.
2. What do the items cost separately? Add them up. If the bundle saves you very little, the extras are just extra.

A free gift is only worth something if you'd have paid for it. A "free" pouch you'll never use adds nothing but clutter.

Check 5: Find the true cost at checkout

The listing price is rarely the price you pay. Before deciding, go as far as the final payment screen and read the total. Things that get added:

• Delivery fees, especially below a minimum order value
• Platform, convenience or handling fees
• Cash-on-delivery charges
• Packaging or "protect your order" add-ons, sometimes pre-selected
• Installation charges for appliances

India's 2023 guidelines on dark patterns name drip pricing, where extra charges are revealed only late in checkout, as a practice platforms shouldn't use. Whatever the rules say, your fix is the same: compare final totals, never listing prices.

Bank offers and cashback belong in this sum too. Count them only if you definitely qualify, and remember that cashback arriving later as points isn't the same as money off today. We break this down in bank offers, cashback and no-cost EMI explained.

Check 6: Is it the right product?

This is the check people skip, and it matters most. A real 40% discount on something that doesn't suit you is still money spent on the wrong thing.

Before you look at any price, you should already know what you need: the size, the spec, the one feature you won't compromise on. A deal on a product that meets those needs is a deal. A deal on a product that almost does is how drawers fill up with things that were "such a good price". If you're not sure what fits, Nudge asks a few quick questions and gives you three picks ranked on fit, each with the reason it suits you. Our guide to finding the best products within your budget covers the same thinking step by step.

A one-minute deal test

Short on time? Run this:

1. Ignore the badge. Look only at the final price.
2. Check one other store for the exact same model or pack.
3. Do the unit maths if it's sold by quantity.
4. Open checkout and read the total, fees included.
5. Ask whether you'd buy it at this price with no sale on. If yes, it's a good buy. If only the sale makes it tempting, let it go.

What a real deal looks like

Real deals exist, and they share a few traits:

• The price is clearly below what the product has sold for over recent months.
• The same exact item isn't cheaper elsewhere once fees are counted.
• It's sold by the brand or an authorised seller, with proper warranty and returns.
• You'd been planning to buy it, or something like it, anyway.

When all four line up, buy without guilt. That's what sales are for.

Frequently asked questions

Is the MRP the real price of a product?

No. MRP is the maximum a seller can charge, not what the product typically sells for. Judge a discount against recent selling prices, not the MRP.

How do I check the price history of a product?

Wishlist it early and note the price over a few weeks, or use a price-history tool. Compare today's price with the typical and lowest prices you've seen.

Are combo packs and bundles cheaper?

Not always. Work out the unit price and what each item costs on its own. A bundle is only cheaper if you'd use everything in it.

What is drip pricing?

It's when extra fees appear only late in checkout, so the real price is higher than the one advertised. India's 2023 dark patterns guidelines name it as a practice to avoid.

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Know the right product first. Then judge the price. Try Nudge.