How to Spot a Genuinely Good Deal

A 50% off tag feels like a good deal until you notice the "original price" was quietly raised the week before the sale started. It is a common enough trick that it is worth building a two-minute habit around checking any discount before you trust it.

Start with price history. Most categories on BFAYR show a small price trend under the discount badge — if the "original" price only existed for a few days before the markdown, treat the percentage with some suspicion rather than taking it at face value.

Next, separate store-wide sales from single-item clearance. A store running 20% off everything is usually just adjusting margins for a slow week; a single item marked down 60% while everything else around it is full price is more often genuine excess stock that a vendor wants gone.

Finally, read the return window before the price. A great price on something with no returns is a worse deal than a fair price on something you can send back. Check both, in that order, and the "genuinely good deal" question mostly answers itself.