The Dirty Secret of Online "Discounts"
That ₹1,999 product showing "75% off from ₹7,999" looks irresistible. But what if the product was never actually ₹7,999? What if it's been selling at ₹1,999-2,499 for months, and the seller just inflated the MRP to create a fake discount?
This practice is shockingly common in Indian e-commerce. Here's how to protect yourself.
How Fake Discounts Work
Method 1: Inflated MRP
The seller registers a high MRP with the platform, then "discounts" it to the regular market price. A ₹500 phone case might show as "MRP ₹1,999 – Now ₹499 (75% off!)" when it was always a ₹500 product.
Method 2: Pre-Sale Price Hike
2-3 weeks before a major sale event, prices are quietly raised. Then during the sale, they're "dropped" back to the original price. The sale discount is entirely fake.
Example:
- Normal price: ₹12,999
- Pre-sale hike: ₹16,999
- Sale "discount": ₹12,999 (24% off!) — but it's the same price as before
Method 3: Different Seller, Same Product
During sales, the original seller might be out of stock. A different seller lists the same product at a higher price, and the sale discount applies to that higher base price.
How to Spot Fake Discounts
1. Check Price History
This is the most effective method. A price history chart shows you every price change over weeks and months. On xrupe, every product has a detailed price history that instantly exposes inflated pricing.
If the "60% off" product has been at similar prices for 3 months, the discount is fake.
2. Compare "Before" Price with Other Stores
If Flipkart shows "MRP ₹4,999 – Now ₹1,999" but the same product is regularly ₹2,199 on Amazon without any sale, the Flipkart MRP is inflated.
3. Check the Seller Details
Click on the seller name and check their ratings. Sellers with fewer than 100 ratings and recent registration dates are more likely to manipulate pricing.
4. Search the Product Model Number
Copy the exact model number and search on Google Shopping. Compare the "sale price" with regular prices from other retailers.
5. Be Skeptical of Extreme Discounts
Genuine discounts on electronics rarely exceed 30-40%. If you see "70% off" on a branded smartphone, it's almost certainly inflated MRP.
What Platforms Are Doing
Both Flipkart and Amazon have policies against fake MRPs, but enforcement is inconsistent. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 makes misleading pricing illegal, but individual sellers still engage in the practice.
Your Best Defense: Price Tracking
The single most powerful tool against fake discounts is historical price data. When you can see a product's pricing over 6-12 months, no fake discount can fool you.
Use xrupe to:
- View complete price history across all stores
- See the all-time lowest price for any product
- Get a deal quality score (our algorithm detects genuine drops vs. fake discounts)
- Compare current price with 30-day, 90-day, and all-time averages
Shop informed. Shop smart. Never fall for fake discounts again.
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