How we check deals

A discount is only a discount if the price was really higher before. So we ignore the crossed-out "was" price and look at what the retailer has actually charged.

The test a deal has to pass

We only publish a "real deal" verdict when all of these are true:

1. Below the retailer's own 30-day and 90-day median. The price today is at least 10% below the median price that same retailer charged for that product over the last 30 days and over the last 90 days. We compare a retailer with itself, not with another store's price.
2. At or near a record low. The price is at, or within 3% of, the lowest price we have on record for that product at that retailer.
3. At least 60 days of history. Without enough history, a "deal" is a guess.
4. Confirmed on the retailer's page where possible. We re-check the price on the retailer's own product page before writing it up.

Why the median?

A median is the middle price over a period, so one-off spikes (or a short-lived inflated price before a "sale") don't skew it. Using both 30 and 90 days stops a price that was quietly raised last month from making today's price look good.

"Was" prices

We don't use advertised "was", "RRP" or "save $X" figures as the baseline. Where a retailer advertises one, we note whether it matches the price history.

When history is thin

New products, rarely-stocked items and brand-new listings may not have enough history. In that case we say so, or we don't post a verdict at all. Price history only covers the periods trackers were watching, so a "real deal" is not a promise that the price has never been lower.

Where the data comes from

Prices come from public Australian retailer listings and price-comparison data (StaticICE), plus third-party price-change history (PriceHipster). We record the prices we see daily and confirm against the retailer's own page where we can.

What a verdict does and doesn't mean

• It is a verdict about the price, not about whether the product is good. We are not a review site, and we don't publish reviews or ratings.
• We don't check stock or delivery times. Prices can change after we check, so every post shows when it was checked.
• Commissions never influence a verdict. See our affiliate disclosure.

What we cover

Laptops, PCs and monitors to start. Smart home and Chargers may follow later.