How to tell if a deal is really a deal

November 12, 2022

By Kim Komando

Sometimes, a deal seems too good to be true. Prices shift constantly, which makes it hard to know which sales are really worth shopping. Luckily, there are free price tracking tools you can use to sniff out misleading deals.

Sadly, you can’t count on marketplaces to be 100% honest about their sales. Often, retailers will mark products up before slashing them down to the original price. This way, they can advertise a “sale” — even though they’re just manipulating their prices. Tap or click here for smart ways to save money on tech.

To make sure you’re getting good values when you shop, you can check a product’s price history. This way, you can find out how much its alleged sale price compares to the original.

Free price tracking tools help you get the best bang for your buck

Marketers are clever: They know you’re tempted by the idea of getting a good discount. That’s why they manufacture deals, which trick you into buying stuff you’d overlook otherwise.

If Amazon sales excite you, download CamelCamelCamel. This Amazon price tracker helps you read between the lines. It shows you how a product’s price has fluctuated over time.

This free browser extension helps you figure out whether or not you’re looking at a good deal. By revealing raw data, CamelCamelCamel exposes price manipulation. Use it to find out fake discounts, avoid misleading sales and shop for the best deals online.

To use it, you’ll first need to download the Camelcamelcamel browser extension.

You can download it on four different browsers, including the privacy-focused Opera. It’s one of many secure Google Chrome alternatives.

It also works with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. Tap or click the yellow button below to get started.

First, you have to set up an account. Then, you can download the free extension. Now you’re ready to shop smarter.

Here’s how it works

Let’s say you’re shopping on Amazon and you see an eye-popping deal. Use CamelCamelCamel to see if the sale is really as sweet as it seems.

The box of data won’t pop up automatically. You have to manually select the CamelCamelCamel icon in your browser.

If you’re on Google Chrome, click the orange Camelizer icon in the toolbar. It’s to the right of your URL bar.

If you can’t see it, select the puzzle icon to open up your extensions. Select the Camelizer icon to analyze the product’s price trends.

After a single click, you’ll see the product’s pricing trends over time. When you first use it, you’ll see a simple tutorial. Just click Next to start using CamelCamelCamel.

Look through the data to see how the price has changed over time. Want to get an alert if that product’s price falls later on? You can sign up for price drop alerts, too.

It’s that easy. In two simple steps, you can see how the price has changed on Amazon. From now on, always click the camel before making a big purchase.

Share the love: Bookmark this tip and share it with your friends before Black Friday hits. Now is the time of year when sellers get especially sneaky. With this tool, you and your friends won’t be tricked so easily.

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