Rules of this board plus what counts as a genuine deal

[EdgeRatedR86]

Since the bargain board is getting busier, let us settle some etiquette before it becomes a firehose of referral links. A deal should be a real discount from the usual price, not from an inflated pretend price that the item never actually sold at

Suggested format for posts, item, price, where, ends when, and why you think it is actually good. That last part matters most, context from someone who knows the category beats a bare link every time. Historic price info is gold if you have it

And the eternal question, do freebies with a catch belong here? Free trials that need a card, free items with signup marketing, that kind of thing. My vote is yes but clearly labelled, curious what everyone else thinks

[Kernel]

Strong agree on fake discounts, the was price on some sites is pure fiction and posting those just spreads the con

[Anvil79]

There are price history trackers for the big retailers, should we make linking one mandatory for electronics posts?

[QuietObserver]

Mandatory feels heavy handed, encouraged and appreciated is enough. This is a forum not a compliance department

[Gold Terry]

Freebies with a catch are fine if the catch is in the post title itself, not buried in paragraph three

[NeutrinoX56]

Disagree slightly, card required trials have burned enough people that I would keep them out entirely

[DeepInlet]

That seems extreme, adults can manage a calendar reminder to cancel, just label it clearly

[GrimUpNorth53]

Can we also agree on marking expired deals in the title? Nothing worse than getting excited over a dead link from Tuesday

[JayJ]

What about referral links where both sides benefit? Declared openly, or banned outright? torn on this one