Deceptive Pricing Journal
Investigations, guides, and case-law explainers on California's 90-day price rule and the retailers that break it.
retail sector
Flash Sale Sites: The Original Deceptive Pricing Machines
Gilt, Rue La La, HauteLook — private-sale sites built empires on "was" prices. What did the courts say?
Aug 27, 2026
retail sector
Subscription Boxes and "Retail Value" Claims — A Legal Gray Zone
Beauty boxes, meal kits, and mystery boxes love to advertise "$150 value for $30." Here's when that's legal and when it's not.
Aug 24, 2026
consumer guide
The Psychology of Phantom Discounts — Why Fake Sales Work
Anchoring bias, urgency framing, and the neuroscience of the strikethrough — plus how the law tries to police it.
Aug 21, 2026
law explained
Deceptive Pricing: Class Action vs. Individual Consumer Claim
When your $12 in "fake savings" is worth joining a class action — and when a small-claims filing makes more sense.
Aug 18, 2026
law explained
California vs. Other States: Where the Toughest Price Laws Are
California's 90-day rule is the strictest in the U.S., but New York, Washington, and Massachusetts have teeth too.
Aug 15, 2026
retail sector
Why Apparel Retailers Get Sued Most for Fake Sales
Kohl's, Macy's, JCPenney, Old Navy — apparel dominates the 90-day rule docket. Here's why.
Aug 12, 2026
retail sector
Amazon Strikethrough Pricing: A Decade of Legal Trouble
How Amazon's "List Price" and strikethrough displays became a case study in deceptive reference pricing.
Aug 9, 2026
seasonal
Black Friday & Cyber Monday: The Deceptive Pricing Playbook
A season-by-season look at how holiday "doorbusters" get their inflated reference prices — and which tactics cross the legal line.
Aug 6, 2026
retail sector
Outlet Store Pricing: Why "Compare At" Signs Can Be Illegal
Outlet mall retailers face a wave of lawsuits over "compare at" tags on goods that never sold at mainline stores.
Aug 3, 2026
law explained
MSRP vs. List Price vs. "Compare At" — What Each Actually Means
Retailers use these terms interchangeably, but courts treat them very differently under California law.
Jul 31, 2026
consumer guide
How to Screenshot Deceptive Pricing as Legal Evidence
What courts and consumer attorneys look for in price screenshots — and the metadata mistakes that get evidence thrown out.
Jul 28, 2026
law explained
Landmark California Deceptive Pricing Lawsuits Every Shopper Should Know
From Kohl's to JCPenney to Michael Kors — the class actions that shaped how the 90-day rule is enforced today.
Jul 25, 2026
consumer guide
How to Spot a Fake Sale in 30 Seconds
A quick checklist shoppers can use at checkout to tell a real discount from a made-up one.
Jul 22, 2026
consumer guide
How Retailers Fake "Original" Prices — 6 Tactics to Watch For
Perma-sale strikethroughs, MSRP inflation, phantom compare-at prices — a field guide to the tactics that trigger 90-day price rule lawsuits.
Jul 19, 2026
law explained
What Is California's 90-Day Price Rule? A Consumer Guide
A plain-English breakdown of California Business & Professions Code §17501 — the 90-day rule that makes fake "was" prices illegal.
Jul 15, 2026