Finding deals with a screen reader

The short version

• Search for the item you want with a sale filter, instead of browsing deal pages.
• Compare the total with shipping, not the percentage off.
• Limited time deals can end or sell out while you shop. Check the price again at checkout.
• Real deals do not arrive as links in text messages. Open the store's app or website yourself.

Search only for items on sale

Amazon's Today's Deals page is a long grid of product cards, timers and filters. When you know what you want, searching is faster:

• Amazon: on our Search Amazon page, check "On sale" under "Only show". Amazon's results open with its "All Discounts" filter already on, so the list has only deals, coupons and price cuts. You can add a price range and "4 stars and up" at the same time.
• eBay: on our Compare prices page, check "On sale only". Each result reads the total with shipping first, then how much it is marked down, for example "$34.99, 47% off".
• On Amazon's own results page, the same filter is called "All Discounts", under "Deals & Discounts" in the filter list. "Today's Deals" there narrows the list further, to limited time deals.

Deal labels on Amazon

On results pages and product pages, these words come just before or after the price. Use your screen reader's find command to jump to them.

• "Limited time deal": the price is lower until a set time or until the deal's stock runs out. Some deals show how much of the stock has been claimed and how long is left; the countdown is not always read out, so do not wait long.
• "List:" or "Typical:" price: the price the discount is measured from. It comes after the current price, so you hear the lower price first.
• "Prime exclusive" or "Prime member price": the lower price is only for Prime members. Without Prime, you pay the higher price.
• "Subscribe & Save": a lower price for repeat deliveries. Check whether "One-time purchase" or Subscribe & Save is selected before you buy; see avoiding accidental purchases.

A limited time deal in your cart can end before you check out. At checkout, move by headings to the order summary and listen to the item price again before "Place your order".

Coupons

• On Amazon, a coupon appears near the price as a checkbox, for example "Apply 20% coupon". The saving only applies if you check the box. Find it by searching the page for "coupon".
• The coupon comes off at checkout, not on the product page. Listen for it in the order summary before you place the order.
• Amazon's coupons page lists current coupons, but searching for the product you need with the "On sale" filter is usually quicker.
• On eBay, coupon codes are entered at checkout in the field for gift cards, coupons and eBay Bucks.

Deals on eBay

• A marked-down listing shows the earlier price after the current one, often with the word "Was" or a percentage off.
• The earlier price is set by the seller. On our item pages we say so, for example "28% off the seller's earlier price".
• eBay's Deals page collects discounted items from large sellers, by category.
• Before you buy, check the shipping cost, the seller's feedback and the return policy. Our Compare prices page reads these out for you.

Is it really a good price?

• A high "List" or "Was" price makes any discount look large. What matters is what you pay: the total with shipping and tax.
• Compare the same product in two places. Our Compare prices page sorts eBay offers by total, so you can check an Amazon deal against it in a minute.
• A deal on an item you were not planning to buy is not a saving. Make a short list before big sale days.
• Prices can drop again after you buy. Amazon and eBay do not refund the difference, so returning the item and buying it again is the only way to get the lower price.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday returns

• Black Friday is Friday, November 27, 2026, and Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30. Amazon's early Black Friday deals started in early November, so you do not have to wait for the day itself.
• Sale days bring the most fake deal messages of the year. See fake deals below.
• Holiday returns: Amazon gives a longer return window for holiday purchases. In recent years, most items bought from November 1 to December 31 could be returned until January 31. The exact last day for each item is in Your Orders: open the order and listen for the return date. See returns and refunds.
• eBay sellers set their own return windows, and holiday extensions are up to each seller. Check the listing's return policy before you buy a gift.

Fake deals

• Texts, emails or social media posts with a huge discount and a link are a common trick in the sale season. Do not use the link. Open the Amazon or eBay app, or type the address yourself, and look for the deal there.
• Amazon never asks you to pay with gift cards, and never asks for your password or a one-time code by phone or text. Source: Amazon help: Identifying a scam.
• A website that looks like Amazon but has a different address, or a price far below every other store, is a warning sign. More in spotting fake calls, texts and emails.