GoKawiilCNET Survey: Nearly Half of US Shoppers Distrust Holiday Discount Claims
CNET's latest holiday shopping survey found that 43% of US adults are frustrated by fake or misleading discounts, while 35% worry retailers inflate baseline prices before sales. CNET deals editor James Bricknell explained that retailers often inflate a product's listed recommended retail price rather than the sale price itself, making a modest 5-10% discount appear far larger.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest shoppers are growing more skeptical of retail marketing tactics just as Amazon, Walmart and others roll out early holiday promotions, which could push consumers to scrutinize price history before buying. Bricknell's comments indicate that even genuine sales may only offer modest savings, meaning shoppers who assume steep cuts could be misled by pricing psychology rather than outright fraud.
- 43% of US adults say they're frustrated by fake or misleading holiday discounts, per CNET's survey.
- 35% worry retailers inflate baseline prices before applying discounts, CNET found.
- CNET's Bricknell says retailers often inflate listed recommended retail prices to make discounts of 5-10% look bigger.
Source: cnet.com — Dashia Milden, 2026-09-30
Published there as: “Is That Early Holiday Deal or Fake Discount? Our Shopping Expert Chimes In”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.