How to check if a Black Friday discount is real: 5 checks before you buy

A discount is real if the Black Friday price is lower than the price the product actually sold for in the weeks before. The crossed-out old price on the page does not prove that. The only proof is the price history.

1. Record the price before the campaign

Pick the products you want and save their price a few weeks ahead. A dated screenshot is enough. Without that reference you have nothing to compare with.

2. Compare with the lowest price of the last 30 days

In the European Union, Directive (EU) 2019/2161, also called the Omnibus Directive, requires that when a price reduction is announced, the reference price is the lowest price applied in at least the 30 days before the reduction. If the crossed-out price is higher than anything you saw in the last month, it is worth asking the retailer where it comes from.

3. Check the same product at other retailers

Search by the exact model code, not by name. Two TVs with almost identical names can be different models with different prices.

4. Look at the final price, not the percentage

A large percentage applied to an inflated starting price can produce an ordinary final price. What matters is the amount you pay, shipping included.

5. Check the seller

On marketplace platforms the same product can be sold by several merchants at different prices. Look at who sells and who ships.

How to automate the check

Manual notes work for two or three products. For more, a monitoring tool can check the page for you and keep the history, as long as the site allows automated access. In OmniWatchGuard you add the product page URL, choose price monitoring and get an alert when the price changes. Large retailers that block automated access cannot be monitored; for those, keep your own notes.

More in the guide

We do not publish a price index. The Black Friday 2026 price guide explains how to watch prices with a monitor, what the 30-day rule means and how to keep your own record.