The Fake Deal Index · week of Oct 19
15% of this week’s “deals” weren’t real.
We scanned 1,743 advertised Amazon deals for week of Oct 19. 262 weren’t meaningfully below their usual price.
Week over week
Fakest categories this week
Furniture35% fake
Office29% fake
Beauty27% fake
Tools21% fake
Toys & Games21% fake
Health18% fake
Pet Supplies15% fake
Home & Kitchen13% fake
Video Games10% fake
Electronics7% fake
Computers6% fake
Sports & Outdoors0% fake
Shoes & Apparel0% fake
Busted this week
- Moleskine Cahier Journal, Soft Cover, Large (5" x 8.25") Ruled/… — $16 is basically its everyday $14
- Bosch HC2127 3/4" x 18" SDS-Plus Bulldog Rotary Hammer Bit — $44 is basically its everyday $39
- Adams Weekly Payroll Record, 20 Employee Capacity, Spiral Bindi… — $15 is basically its everyday $13
- Soothing Touch Sore Extra Strength Muscle Balm Tin, Narayan, 1.… — $13 is basically its everyday $11
- Kalimdor Pants Hangers 2 Pack Space Saving Metal Closet Organiz… — $19 is basically its everyday $17
How this is measured
- Sample: 1,743 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 →