How to spot a fake phone sale (and what a real deal looks like)

Australian consumer law says a "was" price has to be a price the item genuinely sold at for a reasonable period. The ACCC has taken retailers to court over discounts that weren't real. But the rules don't stop every misleading sale, and phones are one of the easiest places to hide one.

Four tricks to watch for

1. The inflated "was" price. The phone was marked up for a week so it can be "discounted" back to its normal price.
2. The storage switch. The ad shows the big-storage model's photo and name with the base model's price.
3. The RRP nobody charges. "Save $500 off RRP" when no store has sold it at RRP in months.
4. The bundle that isn't. A "free" accessory that pads the deal while the phone itself is dearer than elsewhere.

How to check a deal in 30 seconds

• Compare the same phone at other stores today. If three stores sell it at the "sale" price, it isn't a sale — it's the price. Every phone page on Compare Empire shows all stores side by side.
• Check the price history. We record the best price for every phone and storage size every day. If today's price matches last month's, you're not saving anything.
• Compare the exact storage size. Always.

What a real deal looks like

A real deal is cheaper than every other store today and cheaper than the recent price at the same store. That's what our deals page looks for — it never takes a retailer's "was" price at face value.

Right now, the gap between the cheapest and dearest store on the Samsung Galaxy S26 is worth a look:

Before the big sales — Click Frenzy, Black Friday on 27 November, Boxing Day — save the phones you want (tap the heart). When the sale starts you'll have a before price to compare against.