TLDR: As India’s major online sales, the Amazon Great Indian Festival and Flipkart Big Billion Days 2025, commence, shoppers are increasingly leveraging advanced AI tools to distinguish genuine discounts from misleading offers. These tools analyze historical price data to provide transparency, helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions and avoid deceptive pricing tactics.
India’s highly anticipated festive season sales, the Amazon Great Indian Festival and Flipkart Big Billion Days 2025, kicked off on September 23, 2025, with early access for premium members starting on September 22. While e-commerce platforms are showcasing a plethora of discounts across electronics, fashion, home essentials, and more, consumer advocates are highlighting a growing concern: many advertised ‘deals’ are not as advantageous as they appear. This year, however, technology is stepping in to empower shoppers.
Advanced AI tools, such as the ‘Buyhatke Deal Scanner’ browser extension, are emerging as crucial allies for consumers. These smart shopping assistants are designed to cut through marketing ‘smoke and mirrors’ by providing real-time price analysis based on extensive historical data. The tools track product prices on platforms like Flipkart and Amazon, revealing all-time lowest prices, average price trends, and recent price changes. This functionality ensures that buyers can identify true discounts and avoid falling for misleading markdowns, which often involve quiet price hikes before a sale, only to be ‘slashed’ during the event to create a dramatic-looking, yet often negligible, discount.
For instance, during the Flipkart Big Billion Days, the Apple iPhone 16, priced at ₹69,999, might seem like a significant saving. However, the Deal Scanner reportedly reveals that this price is often on par with its pre-sale cost, indicating no real discount. Some advertised prices, like ₹51,999 for the iPhone 16, were reserved for a select few, with many orders subsequently cancelled. In contrast, the iPhone 15 deal on Amazon, listed at ₹46,999, was identified as a genuine offer, being approximately 23% cheaper than its price on other e-commerce portals, which typically list it around ₹59,900.
Other examples further illustrate the utility of these tools. A GOBOULT (formerly Boult) Crown Pro 2.01 smartwatch on Flipkart, advertised at ₹1,499 from an original ₹6,999, appeared to offer a 78% saving. Yet, the Deal Scanner indicated that while there was no recent price hike, the current price was still above its all-time low of ₹799 and slightly higher than its average price of ₹1,460, suggesting the deal wasn’t as exceptional as it seemed. Similarly, an Ambrane 20000 mAh power bank, despite being discounted, was found not to be the most cost-effective option, with its current sale price surpassing both previous Big Billion Days sale prices and the average market price. An e-commerce analyst, Sujit, also highlighted that a Sony Bravia TV, promoted at ₹39,990, had previously been available for as low as ₹35,999, demonstrating common pricing tactics during sales events.
These AI tools integrate directly with e-commerce platforms, analyzing prices in real-time and often highlighting products priced higher than their usual rates directly on category or deals pages. An e-commerce analyst stated, ‘Consumers need transparency, especially during mega sales like Big Billion Day. AI tools like Deal Scanner are shifting power back to shoppers, arming them with data to cut through marketing smoke and mirrors.’ The installation of such tools, like the Buyhatke extension, is straightforward, typically involving a quick addition from the Chrome Web Store. As retail competition intensifies, such verification systems are poised to become a standard for smart, stress-free, and rewarding online shopping experiences.
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Beyond these tools, both Amazon and Flipkart are offering additional incentives. Amazon, in partnership with SBI, provides a 10% instant discount on credit, debit, and EMI transactions, along with exchange offers and no-cost EMI options. Flipkart has similar tie-ups with Axis Bank and ICICI Bank for 10% instant discounts. New product launches, such as the OnePlus 13 series, iQOO 13 series, and Vivo V60 lineup, are also expected with attractive introductory prices during these sales.
