A big percentage off means little if the MRP was raised first. Check the price history, compare the final price after your card offer, and confirm the exact model number and seller before you pay.
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Then check the box, date and serial number when it arrives. Our deals carry a price label for this: “Real low”, “Fair price” or “Above usual”. Use the checklist below for every festive purchase from Big Billion Days to Diwali.
| Checklist stage | What to check | Time it takes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Before the sale | Usual price, exact model, your cards | 10 minutes per item |
| 2. At the listing | Price history, seller, variant, warranty | 2 minutes |
| 3. At checkout | Bank offer applied, cap, fees, delivery date | 1 minute |
| 4. On delivery | Seal, video, manufacturing date, serial | 5 minutes |
| 5. After delivery | Warranty registration, return window | 5 minutes |
This is the festive checklist: short, stage by stage, and easy to print or screenshot. If you want the detail behind each trick, with price history charts and worked examples, read how to spot fake discounts in online sales. To check a product right now, paste its link into our fake discount checker.
Why “70% off” often means nothing
The percentage is measured against the MRP, and the MRP is set by the seller. A product listed at ₹29,999 with a ₹49,999 MRP shows 40% off even if it sold for ₹29,999 all year. The number that matters is the price it usually sells for, not the crossed-out one.
Festive season makes this worse because every store runs a sale at the same time. From Amazon’s Great Indian Festival (8 October) and Flipkart’s Big Billion Days (9 October, early access 8 October) to Dhanteras on 6 November and Diwali on 8 November, you will see “lowest price of the year” on the same product several times. It cannot be true every time.
Stage 1: before the sale
- ☐ Write down the exact model number, not just the name (for example the full TV or phone model code).
- ☐ Note the usual price over the last one to three months. Our label, a price tracker or our checker will show it.
- ☐ Note the lowest price in the last sale. That is the number to beat.
- ☐ List the cards you and your family hold, and which store they give an offer on.
- ☐ Decide your ceiling price. If the sale does not beat it, you do not buy.
Check the price history. A real low is a price below its usual range. Every deal we post is compared with its own history, and the label on it says where it stands.
Stage 2: at the listing
- ☐ Is today’s price below the usual price you noted? If not, the discount is mostly marketing.
- ☐ Has the price jumped in the last 2 to 4 weeks? A step up before the sale is a warning sign.
- ☐ Does the model number match exactly? Brands sometimes sell sale-only variants with a different processor, panel or battery.
- ☐ Is the seller the brand’s official store or fulfilled by Amazon or Flipkart?
- ☐ Is it brand warranty or seller warranty? Ask if it is not stated.
- ☐ Is the headline an “effective price” that includes a bank offer or exchange you cannot use?
Match the exact model. Compare the full model number with the version reviewers and owners talk about. Prefer the brand’s official store or a seller fulfilled by Amazon or Flipkart, and on big appliances plan to register the serial number on the brand website after delivery.
Stage 3: at checkout
- ☐ The bank discount shows on the payment page before you pay. If it does not, stop.
- ☐ You know the cap. 10% on a ₹90,000 laptop is not ₹9,000 if the cap is ₹1,750.
- ☐ No surprise fees at the last step (packaging, convenience, protection plans you did not add).
- ☐ Nothing extra has been added to the cart without you choosing it.
- ☐ No-cost EMI: you accept that GST on the interest and any processing fee is extra.
- ☐ The delivery date is before the day you need it, especially for Diwali gifts.
Compare the final price, not the sticker. Card offers, coupons and exchange values change the price you actually pay. In 2026 the instant card offers are 10% with SBI cards on Amazon and 10% with Axis and ICICI cards on Flipkart. A 5% cashback card can beat an instant offer on some products, and lose on others. Work out the final number on both sites.
| Worked example: ₹90,000 laptop | Instant 10% (₹1,750 cap) | 5% cashback card |
|---|---|---|
| Saving | ₹1,750 | ₹4,500 (if the card has no lower cap for the month) |
| You effectively pay | ₹88,250 | ₹85,500 |
| Better choice | Cashback card, if its monthly cap allows |
The ₹1,750 cap in the example is last year’s Big Billion Days cap; the 2026 caps were not published when we checked. Cashback cards also have caps, so check yours. Our bank offer calculator does this in seconds.
Stage 4: on delivery
- ☐ Record a video from the moment you cut the tape, with the label visible.
- ☐ Seal intact? Box not re-taped?
- ☐ Manufacturing date is recent. For electronics, an old batch sold as new is a common festive complaint.
- ☐ Serial number and IMEI on the box match the product and the invoice.
- ☐ Invoice shows the seller name and the price you paid.
Check the box and the return window. Report anything wrong inside the return window. After that it becomes the brand’s problem, not the seller’s. Indian buyers report refurbished or older-batch units arriving as new during sales. A date and a serial number that does not match are the two things to look for.
Stage 5: after delivery
- ☐ Register the product on the brand’s website or app for warranty (especially ACs, fridges, washing machines, TVs).
- ☐ Book installation through the brand if the seller says so, so the warranty stays valid.
- ☐ Save the invoice PDF where you will find it in two years.
- ☐ Check your card statement: was the instant discount applied or the cashback credited as promised?
- ☐ Note the last date of the return window in your phone.
Festive extras: gold, sweets, appliances and gifts
Gold and silver for Dhanteras (6 November)
A “making charges off” offer is only useful if the gold rate and purity are right. Hallmarked gold jewellery carries a 6-digit HUID. Before you pay, enter it in the “Verify HUID” feature of the BIS CARE app from the Bureau of Indian Standards. Compare the per-gram rate with the day’s rate at two other jewellers, and ask for making charges as a rupee amount, not just a percentage.
Sweets, dry fruits and hampers
Check the best-before date and net weight. A “buy 1 get 1” hamper with half the weight of a normal pack is not a deal. Price per 100 g is the only fair comparison.
ACs, fridges and washing machines
Compare the same model on Amazon, Flipkart, Croma and Reliance Digital. Check whether installation, stand, pipes and old-appliance pickup are included, because those can add a few thousand rupees. Our appliance buying guide for Diwali has the models.
Gifts that must arrive on time
Order Diwali gifts with at least three to four days of margin. Festive deliveries slow down in the last week, and a gift arriving on 10 November is not a Diwali gift.
Your rights if a festive deal turns out fake
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 require platforms to have a grievance officer who acknowledges a complaint within 48 hours and resolves it within a month. The 2023 dark patterns guidelines ban tricks such as false urgency, drip pricing, basket sneaking and bait and switch. From 1 January 2027, platforms will also have to show the lowest price of the previous 30 days next to any announced price cut, but that rule is not in force for this festive season. If the platform does not help, go to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or 1800-11-4000, or WhatsApp 8800001915. The full detail is in our online sale fake discount guide.
Let the price come to you
Follow the category you want and we alert you when a real low appears. One tap to stop.
For more planning help, see our Diwali sale 2026 guide, 12 tips for the best sale deals and festive sale picks.
Questions people ask
How do I know a festive sale discount is real?
Compare the price with the product’s history, not with the MRP. If the sale price is below what it has usually sold for, it is a real low. If it is close to the usual price, the discount is mostly marketing.
Are prices always lowest on day one of the sale?
No. Some products hit their lowest price on the first day, others later when stock has to clear. Track the product you want and buy when the label says Real low.
What should I check when a festive sale order arrives?
Record the unboxing, check the seal, the manufacturing date and that the serial number matches the invoice. Report any problem inside the return window.
Is Dhanteras gold cheaper during festive offers?
Offers usually cut making charges, not the gold rate. Compare the per-gram rate with other jewellers and verify the 6-digit HUID in the BIS CARE app before paying.
Can I print this festive sale checklist?
Yes. Print this page or take screenshots of the five stages and keep them open while you shop.
Which card should I use in the festive sales?
SBI cards get 10% off on Amazon and Axis or ICICI cards get 10% on Flipkart in 2026, but a 5% cashback card can beat a capped 10% on expensive items. Compare the final price.
Sources
- Business Today: Big Billion Days 2026 date, early access and offers
- About Amazon India: Great Indian Festival 2026 early deals
- PIB: CCPA issues Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023
- LexOrbis: E-Commerce (Amendment) Rules, 2026 key changes
- National Consumer Helpline: contact details
- Bureau of Indian Standards: hallmarking and Verify HUID
- Diwali 2026 dates: Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj