The Fake Deal Index · week of Oct 12
13%
of this week’s “deals” weren’t real.
We scanned 1,716 advertised Amazon deals for week of Oct 12. 226 weren’t meaningfully below their usual price.
Week over week
Fakest categories this week
Office26% fake
Furniture25% fake
Beauty19% fake
Tools18% fake
Toys & Games17% fake
Pet Supplies16% fake
Video Games15% fake
Health15% fake
Home & Kitchen11% fake
Electronics8% fake
Computers5% fake
Shoes & Apparel1% fake
Sports & Outdoors0% fake
Busted this week
- Leviton Combination Switch with Pilot Light, 5226-W, White — $15 is basically its everyday $13
- Moleskine Art Sketchbook, Hard Cover, Pocket (3.5" x 5.5") Plai… — $19 is basically its everyday $17
- Dragon Shield Sleeves Classic Blue(100), (ART10003) — $14 is basically its everyday $12
- Pet Passion REMY - THE Recycled Ribbon Harness, HOT Pink, X-Lar… — $19 is basically its everyday $17
- TOPS Docket Diamond Premium Stationery Wirebound Tablet, 8.5 x … — $15 is basically its everyday $13
How this is measured
- Sample: 1,716 advertised Amazon deals this week, stratified across 13 categories (scanned per-category, then pooled).
- “Busted” = today’s price is not meaningfully below the item’s usual (90-day) price — within 8% of it or higher, a “discount” off an inflated or invented “was”.
- Source: our own price research — the figure can’t be bought.
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Scanned from our own price research — a “deal” is busted when today’s price isn’t meaningfully below its 90-day usual price. Check any product →