If phrases like ‘Act fast’ or ‘Last chance’ make you click and buy, you’re falling into a common marketing pattern. Retailers and advertisers use psychological tactics to push quick purchases. Life Kit spoke with Brian Vines of Consumer Reports and Lindsay Weekes of Brad’s Deals to highlight four frequent tricks and practical ways to resist them.
1) Urgency and FOMO
Retailers create a sense of urgency with words like ‘flash sale’ or ‘limited time’ to prompt instant decisions. Before you buy, pause. Ask whether you genuinely need the item or are reacting to the fear of missing out. Most products are restocked or reappear in later promotions, and waiting often reveals whether the purchase is worth it. Give yourself a cooling-off period — even a few hours or days — before committing.
2) Fake original prices
Listing a high ‘original’ price next to a sale price makes a discount look larger than it really is. The crossed-out number is often not a recent price. Ignore the anchor and decide based on the current price: is the item worth that amount to you today? If not, skip it regardless of the supposed discount.
3) Inflated base prices and big-percentage discounts
Some sellers raise prices before a busy season, then advertise big percentage cuts so the sale price seems impressive. To avoid this high-low pricing trap, compare prices across retailers, use price-history tools, or check secondhand marketplaces (especially useful for clothing). In stores, look up competitor prices online or ask about price matching. You can also add items to your cart and monitor them over several days to see if the price drops.
4) Selling a fantasy
Marketing often pairs products with idealized scenes — perfect holidays, improved confidence, happier families — to make purchases feel essential. If you find yourself entering payment info while imagining a better version of a moment or relationship tied to a product, step back. You don’t need that specific item to create meaning. Low-cost or no-cost alternatives can be more memorable: bake family recipes, host a potluck or hike, or look for thoughtful secondhand gifts.
Small habits protect your wallet: wait before buying, ignore crossed-out original prices, compare across sellers, and question emotional appeals. These steps help you spend on what truly matters, not on marketing pressure.
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