A big red “60% off” badge proves nothing on its own. It is a claim about a comparison, and the comparison is where fake discounts hide. In a screening published on 26 March 2026, the European Commission and national authorities found that 30% of the 314 online traders checked referenced discounts incorrectly. This article covers what an honest discount has to be measured against, where the rules differ by country, and how to check a deal yourself.
What the 2026 EU check found
The European Commission’s screening involved authorities from 23 EU countries, Iceland and Norway. It was a coordinated sample of 314 traders, not a census of every seller, so treat the percentages as a warning signal rather than a market-wide rate. The Commission reported:
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- 30% of the traders checked referenced discounts incorrectly. The Commission states that a discount must be based on the lowest price applied during the previous 30 days.
- 34% displayed price comparisons, and 60% of that group did not clearly explain the source of the reference price.
- 18% used pressure-selling techniques. More than half of those cases were misleading, including fake scarcity claims.
The three failures are a wrong baseline, an unexplained baseline, and manufactured urgency. A deal site that avoids all three is doing real work.
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A “was” price is a claim, not evidence
To judge any discount, ask what is being compared with what. Five questions cover most cases:
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- Compare prices while your in the aisle at the store
- Which price? The highest list price, the previous selling price, or a recommended retail price that few shops ever charged.
- Over what period? A “was” price that applied for one day last spring is not a useful baseline.
- Same product? The comparison should cover the same variant, such as storage size, colour or bundle contents.
- Same seller and market? A price in another country or from another retailer answers a different question.
- Same eligibility? A price that needs a coupon, membership or trade-in is not the price everyone pays.
Rules differ by jurisdiction
European Union: the 30-day reference
The EU’s consumer guidance (Your Europe, “Unfair pricing”) says a discount announcement must indicate the lowest price applied to the item in the preceding 30 days. It also notes that prices can be personalised using automated decision-making and profiling, but the trader must disclose when that happens. The 30-day rule is specific to EU countries. Do not assume it applies elsewhere.
United Kingdom: “usual price” and total price
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) took a different approach in its March 2023 article on urgency and price-reduction claims. Such claims, it says, “are misleading where they no longer reflect the item’s usual price.” It also warns about urgency tactics such as timers that restart or offers that carry on after they supposedly end.
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The CMA’s 2024 mattress-sector principles discuss both how long a reference price applied and how much was sold at it. The CMA describes them as its view of how to avoid misleading reference pricing under existing law, not new law or rules. They are sector-specific guidance, so don’t read the mattress benchmarks as universal requirements.
On price transparency, the CMA’s guidance says mandatory charges, such as unavoidable delivery fees or taxes, generally belong in the total price, shown clearly and promptly. Its summary says breaches of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 can lead to fines of up to 10% of turnover or £300,000, whichever is greater, plus customer compensation. Check the current scope of the Act before applying this to a specific seller.
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United States: fees and dynamic prices
The Federal Trade Commission’s FAQ on its Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees says dynamic pricing is permissible as long as the price information is not misleading. It also says a restricted promotion should not be presented as the total price available to everyone before the customer has met its terms. That source covers fee disclosure. It does not establish a US equivalent of the EU’s 30-day rule.
False urgency and hidden fees can ruin an accurate discount
A correct percentage can still mislead. Two things to watch:
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- Countdown timers and “only 3 left.” The EU check found fake scarcity among the misleading pressure tactics. A timer that resets on reload, or a stock count with no real inventory behind it, is a red flag.
- Charges added at checkout. If a “cheaper” listing adds unavoidable delivery or other mandatory fees later, compare totals, not headline prices.
What an honest deal site has to do
These are practical standards drawn from the regulators’ guidance above. They are an editorial framework, not a statutory test.
| Requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Keep observed price history, not just today’s price | A “was” price needs evidence of what was actually charged and for how long. |
| State the comparison basis next to the discount | The EU check found 60% of traders showing comparisons did not clearly explain the reference price source. |
| Match variant, seller and region | A mismatched comparison can fabricate a saving. |
| Show history coverage and age | Stored data may cover only some retailers or time periods, and a seller’s price can change before you reach checkout. |
| Include unavoidable charges | The CMA says mandatory charges generally belong in the total price. |
| Make no urgency claim without a real basis | Fake scarcity and restarting timers are recognised misleading tactics. |
| Disclose commercial relationships | An affiliate commission says nothing about whether a deal is good. |
This article does not describe a specific site’s build history, data sources or incident records, and none are claimed here.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- show lowest price automatically
- save and load list for later on use
How to check a deal yourself
- Find the baseline. Look for a stated source for the “was” price. If there isn’t one, discount your trust in it.
- Look at price history. For Amazon listings, a tracker such as Keepa, which describes itself as an Amazon price tracker, shows past prices. Its coverage is limited to Amazon, and it shows what was listed, not what was legally required.
- Confirm it is the same item. Check the model number, variant and seller.
- Compare totals. Add delivery, tax and any membership needed.
- Ignore the clock. Reload the page or open it in a private window. If the timer resets, the urgency isn’t real.
- Re-check at checkout. Prices change, and any tracked or aggregated price may be stale by the time you click.
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.
