Buy One Get One (BOGO) Offers:

 Buy One Get One (BOGO) Offers:

 A store might raise the price of one item to cover the cost of the "free" item. Todd Stearn, founder 

“One of the biggest scams is the 50% BOGO, buy one, get one 50% off deal. At first, this may seem like a steal, but sometimes companies artificially increase prices ahead of time. In this case, you might end up paying more than you think for a ‘deal,’” he told ConsumerAffairs.

Black Friday warning

Yes, Black Friday is months away, but you need to be ready because fake discounters will be ready for you.

“One of the most common examples of a fake discount are those offered during Black Friday on doorbusters that were made specifically for the sales event,” money-saving guru Andrea Woroch told ConsumerAffairs. 

“These products may look like a model that was sold all year but could be missing key components or features, allowing the manufacturer to cut the price. We may also see this item marked on sale with an original selling price. But since this [product] was never sold before, it's misleading.”

Outsmarting the fake discounters

In discussing this issue with retail and pricing experts, the bottom line that ConsumerAffairs came away with is “buyer beware” – but that simply by educating yourself about the game, you can spot a fake discount. Not necessarily from a mile away, but enough to keep yourself from feeling like you were duped.