1. The Illusion of Huge Discounts
When the “Original Price” Was Never Real**
The oldest Black Friday trick is simple:
raise the price in October → slash it sharply in November → call it a massive discount.
It happens constantly, especially in categories with fast-changing pricing.
You think you’re getting 50% or 60% off—
but in reality, you’re just paying the same price the item had two months ago… sometimes even more.
Most common offenders
- small appliances (air fryers, vacuums, portable cookers)
- beauty gift sets
- older-generation smartwatches and earbuds
- kitchen gadgets and entry-level electronics
How to tell if the discount is fake
✔ Check 90-day price history
Tools like Keepa or CamelCamelCamel reveal the truth instantly.
A real discount always dips below the seasonal average.
✔ Be wary of “perfectly sliced” discounts
$999 → $499
$199 → $99
Extremely round numbers often mean the original price was inflated on purpose.
✔ New launches rarely drop dramatically
If a brand-new product suddenly claims 40–50% off during Black Friday, you can almost guarantee it's a fake markdown.
**2. Doorbuster Deals Designed to Sell Out
But the Products You Actually Want Are Never in Stock**
Black Friday’s second classic trap is the “bait product.”
A super-cheap item appears on the homepage, everyone clicks, but the real experience is:
- Out of stock
- “Backorder—delivery date unknown”
- Only one strange color is available
- “See similar items” that cost more
These “doorbusters” exist to attract traffic—not to be purchased.
Products most often used as bait
- 4K TVs
- laptops
- Nintendo Switch / PS5 bundles
- Dyson entry-level vacuums
- previous-generation iPads
How to avoid this trap
✔ Pay attention to stock indicators
“Limited stock” on Black Friday is almost a polite way of saying: You won’t get this.
✔ Beware of retailer-exclusive models
Exclusive = low stock + used for click-through traffic.
✔ Search for equivalent models instead of clicking the suggested upsell
Platforms always recommend pricier alternatives.
But within the same product generation, you can often find another model with the same specs at a real discount.
**3. Value-less Bundles
When Buying the Set Costs More Than Buying the Items Individually**
Black Friday is when retailers aggressively push bundles:
a TV with a mount, a vacuum with accessories, a console with outdated games…
Bundles look cheaper because they appear “loaded with extras,” but many contain:
- accessories nobody uses
- outdated or low-value add-ons
- inflated bundle pricing that hides higher individual item prices
The most misleading bundles
- game console packs with old games
- TVs with wall mounts
- vacuums with spare attachments
- coffee machines with travel mugs or “gift kits”
How to check if a bundle is actually worth it
✔ Add up the price of each item separately
If buying individually is cheaper, skip the bundle.
✔ Ask yourself if you’ll genuinely use the extras
Unused add-ons = wasted money.
✔ Double-check the model number
Many Black Friday bundles use older or lower-spec versions disguised under “holiday edition” packaging.
How to Tell Whether a Black Friday Deal Is Truly Good
A discount is real if it meets at least one of these criteria:
1. It’s lower than the 90-day lowest price
This is the most reliable indicator of a true deal.
2. It matches one of the three major annual price dips
Most genuine low prices only occur during:
- Back-to-School season
- Prime Day
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday
If the Black Friday price isn’t better than Prime Day, skip it.
3. The product is in a generation turnover period
When brands release a new model, the previous-gen product usually gets its biggest price drop.
This applies to:
- earbuds/headphones
- tablets
- smartwatches
- e-readers
- small home appliances
4. The category is known for forced inventory clearance
These categories nearly always reach their yearly lows on Black Friday:
- electronics
- home appliances
- kitchen devices
- older tech accessories
Final Advice: Only About 20% of Black Friday Deals Are Truly Worth Buying
Black Friday looks like a paradise of discounts, but most markdowns are marketing illusions.
To shop smart:
✔ always check past prices
✔ avoid “sold-out bait” items
✔ beware of inflated bundles
✔ ignore discount percentages—focus on actual numbers
✔ buy the items you need, not the ones that scream “limited deal”
Smart shoppers don’t buy more during Black Friday—they buy better.