How to Use the Is This Really a Sale?
The Simple Answer
Is This Really a Sale? compares the price now with the earlier price you enter, including shipping and fees, and shows whether it is really lower.
What the tool does
Sale prices can look good while shipping and fees make the total the same or higher. This tool adds those in before it compares. It has no price history, so it works from the earlier price you saw or paid. That is the honest way to check an advertised discount: the only price that matters is one you actually saw or paid, not the crossed-out number in the ad. Write it down before the sale starts and the comparison takes seconds.
How to use it
- Enter the earlier price you saw or paid.
- Enter the advertised price now and any shipping or fees.
- Read whether it is really lower and by what percent.
A worked example
Earlier price $80. Now $60 plus $8 shipping, which is $68. The difference is $68 - $80 = -$12, which is -15%. The result: it is really 15% lower ($12.00 less).
Things to know
- This page has no price history and cannot tell whether the regular price in an ad was ever charged.
- It compares only with the earlier price you enter.
- Everything is calculated in your browser. These results are arithmetic, not advice to buy.
Common questions
How can I tell if a sale is real? Compare it with a price you actually saw or paid. This page does that arithmetic.
Does it show price history? No. It has no price data.
Is This Really a Sale?: Open the Is This Really a Sale? and try your own numbers.