A discount is a claim, not a fact. The percentage on a banner only means something once you know what the item usually sells for, how often it goes on sale, and whether the version being discounted is the one you actually wanted. That's why the first question worth asking isn't "how big is the markdown?" but "compared to what?"
Start with familiarity. If you've never priced the category before, spend five minutes looking at three or four sellers. You're not hunting for the lowest number yet — you're building a sense of the normal range. Once you know the range, a genuine deal announces itself immediately, and an inflated one falls apart just as fast.
Next, look at timing patterns. Plenty of categories run on predictable cycles: outerwear late in the season, kitchen goods around holidays, tech right after a new model lands. When an offer arrives inside a well-known cycle, it's usually real but not rare, which means there's no reason to rush a decision you're unsure about.
Then read the conditions rather than the headline. Exclusions, minimum spends, short windows, and shipping thresholds are where a strong-looking offer quietly loses its value. A smaller discount with no strings often beats a dramatic one that only applies to a narrow selection you weren't shopping for anyway.
Finally, apply the plainest test there is: would you want this at a fair price? A deal on something you don't need isn't savings, it's spending with extra steps. The offers worth acting on are the ones sitting at the intersection of a price you've verified and a purchase you'd already decided to make.
