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How to tell a real discount

Le Clair · 28 October 2026 · about 5 minutes

“50% off” sounds great, but it is always worth asking: fifty percent off what? EU law gives you a simple way to check. Here is how to use it, and what else to watch for.

The 30-day rule

Under the EU Omnibus Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/2161), applied in member states since 2022 and 2023, a shop that announces a price reduction has to show the lowest price of that product in the 30 days before the reduction. That price, not any crossed-out figure, is your reference.

An example: a coat sold for €119 for a month, a week before the sale the shop raised it to €179, and now it announces “30% off, €125”. The lowest price in the last 30 days is €119, so the coat is actually €6 dearer than a month ago. That is not a deal.

Two exceptions worth knowing:

  • if the product has been on sale for less than 30 days, the reference is the lowest price since it went on sale,
  • if the reduction grows step by step (say 20%, then 40%), the shop may show the price from before the first reduction.
A woman in a pale coat hurries past the island of a wooden dressing room
A good decision doesn’t need a rush, whatever the countdown on the shop’s page says.

Five signs a discount may exist only on the label

  1. No 30-day lowest price next to an announced reduction. The shop has to show it. If it is missing, or tucked away in small print far from the price, that is a bad sign.
  2. “70% off the list price”. A list price or a manufacturer's recommended price is not the price the product actually sold for. A big gap often means nothing.
  3. A countdown that starts again. Reload the page the next day. If the timer once more says “3 hours left”, the pressure is artificial.
  4. “Only 2 left” on every size of every product. Genuinely low stock usually affects specific sizes.
  5. “Outlet” collections made for the outlet. A low price can be honest, but it is a different item from the main collection, so compare composition and finish, not just the tag.

Check a sale in 2 minutes

  1. Find the 30-day lowest price on the product page and compare it with the sale price, not with the crossed-out one.
  2. Look at the price history: is the item regularly cheaper (every few weeks, say)? If so, there is no rush.
  3. Compare with the same product in another shop (same product code, colour and size).
  4. Add delivery and any return cost. A €5 discount disappears with a paid return.
  5. Ask yourself: would this piece be on my list at the normal price? If not, the discount is selling you the item, not the item being a bargain.

Discount codes, “buy one get one free” and member prices are a separate category: they are not always covered by the same rule as an announced price reduction. What counts is the amount you actually pay, compared with the lowest recent price of that item.

When clothing prices really drop

The biggest seasonal reductions usually come at the end of a season: from late December through January (winter) and from late June through July (summer), plus Black Friday at the end of November. If a piece on your list isn't urgent, waiting for the end of the season often pays off, though popular sizes go first.

Le Clair does this for you. For each piece it shows the price history from the shop's data and tells you plainly whether now is a good moment. When the history is still too short (under 7 days), it gives no verdict. Watch a piece and you'll get a sign when the price genuinely drops.

Check prices in Le Clair

In short

  • Compare with the 30-day lowest price, not the crossed-out one.
  • A list price and a countdown are not proof of a deal.
  • Add delivery and returns.
  • Buy pieces from your list when their price is genuinely good.

This guide is general information, describes the rules as of the publication date and is not legal advice.