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A “Was £X, now £Y” badge is a retailer’s comparison claim, not proof that the item normally sold for £X. To judge whether a deal is worthwhile, check the exact product and checkout total, review its price history beyond the day before the sale, and compare it with current offers for the same variant. A low price can be a good deal even when the advertised saving is hard to verify.
What a “was/now” price tells you—and what it doesn’t
A “was £X, now £Y” claim compares a special-offer price with a higher reference price. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) describes price-reduction claims in those terms, but the badge alone does not establish that £X was the product’s usual selling price. Its guidance on price reductions and urgency claims, dated 29 March 2023, is directed to businesses and warns that such claims can mislead shoppers.
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Keep two questions separate: is today’s price competitive, and is the claimed saving against the former price convincing? Comparing other sellers can help answer the first; it cannot, by itself, prove that a retailer’s own reference price is false.
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Price histories and competing offers are useful only if they refer to the same thing. Before comparing, record the details that can change the price or what you receive:
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- Exact model or model number, size, capacity, colour and included accessories.
- Seller and sales channel, including whether the offer is direct from a retailer or from a marketplace seller.
- Whether the price depends on a bundle, subscription, membership or other condition.
- Delivery and return terms, and any unavoidable charges.
Compare the checkout total, not just the large headline figure. The CMA’s price-transparency summary says prices should be clear, complete and accurate, and mandatory charges should normally be included in the total price and displayed clearly and promptly. See the CMA summary on providing clear and accurate information about prices, updated 7 January 2026.
Read the price history as a timeline
If a price-history graph or other record is available, inspect the whole timeline it shows rather than focusing only on the lowest point or the day immediately before the promotion. Look for repeated rises and drops, brief returns to a higher price, and similar “sale” events that recur under new labels. These are practical clues, not a legal formula for deciding whether a reference price is valid.
Rank #2
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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says it is likely to consider recent pricing history, including fluctuations. Its promotional savings claims advice says advertisers are expected to provide at least three months of pricing history when substantiating a usual selling price. That is an evidentiary expectation for advertisers—not a rule that shoppers must check exactly three months, nor a universal statutory lookback period.
What makes a former price more convincing?
A higher reference price is more persuasive when the product was offered at that price for a meaningful period and there were significant sales at that price. The ASA says it may consider sales data, whether the higher price was realistic, how long different prices applied and the relevant sales channel. Those factors help assess the claim, but no single factor or time period proves the answer in every case.
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The CMA’s online mattress-sector principles say reference-price sales used to substantiate a “was/now” claim should have been made on the same website and immediately before the discount begins. This is sector-focused guidance, so treat the same-channel and timing points as useful evidence to examine, not a universal rule for every product and seller.
Why frequent price switching matters
In a 2021 mattress adjudication described in its current advice, the ASA considered a product whose price alternated monthly. The higher price applied for 49.85% of the year and the lower price for 50.14%; the ASA did not consider the higher price established as the usual selling price. Those percentages describe one case, not a general threshold or mathematical test for all promotions.
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Compare the offer with alternatives
After checking the history, compare the current checkout total with offers from other sellers for the same model and variant. Try to match delivery conditions and any included accessories or bundle items. A lower competing price may show that today’s offer is not especially competitive; a higher competitor price does not establish that the advertised former price was genuine.
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Best Value
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- COST, SELL AND MARGIN KEYS: Dedicated cost, sell, and margin keys handle quick profit calculations, alongside decimal, rounding, percent, sign change, backspace, and grand total functions.
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Be cautious with countdowns and “last chance” messages
A countdown or scarcity claim is separate from the discount calculation. The CMA’s 2023 guidance gives the example of a timer that reaches zero, resets and leaves the offer available: an untrue end claim can mislead or put unfair pressure on shoppers. If the deadline moves or a substantially similar promotion immediately returns, do not treat the countdown alone as evidence that you must buy now.
Which rules apply?
The detailed sources above are UK guidance for advertisers and traders, not a shopper-specific formula for calculating a usual price. The CMA’s mattress principles apply to that sector, while ASA advice describes how it assesses advertising claims. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission’s Advertising FAQs: A Guide for Small Business says truthfulness standards also apply to price comparisons and sale-price claims, but that page does not provide a shopper-specific lookback period. Legal treatment varies by jurisdiction.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
