How we score deals

The Value Score separates genuine pricing anomalies from ordinary discounts.

94
Value Score out of 100
LG French Door Refrigerator — 27 cu. ft.
61% below MSRP · 43% below 90-day average · 11 units remaining · Last at this price: 4 months ago

What the Value Score measures

The Value Score is a 0–100 number that answers one question: how genuinely good is this deal? Not how many dollars off. Not whether it has a red "Sale" badge. Whether the current price represents real, meaningful value compared to what buyers normally pay.

A product can be "30% off" and still be at its normal price — retailers inflate reference prices constantly. The Value Score cuts through that by comparing the current price against actual price history we track, the manufacturer's true MSRP, and real-time inventory signals. A score of 70 or above means we're confident this is a genuine deal. A score of 90 or above is rare — it means the current price is exceptional by any measure.

The four factors

Every deal is scored on four weighted factors. The weights are calibrated for home appliances and will be adjusted as we expand to other categories.

Price vs 90-day average 40%

We track the actual sale price of every product every day. The 90-day rolling average is what buyers have been paying in the real market — not a made-up reference price. The deeper the current price falls below that average, the higher the score on this factor. A product priced 50% below its 90-day average receives the maximum contribution.

Price vs MSRP 25%

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is the baseline value the maker places on the product. Deep MSRP discounts signal genuine clearance rather than routine promotional pricing. This factor captures deals where a product has been consistently discounted but the current price is exceptional even by those standards.

Scarcity signal 20%

Low remaining inventory combined with a fast purchase rate elevates the urgency weighting of the score. If 11 units are left and the product is selling at 3x its normal velocity, that is meaningful information for a buyer — the deal is about to disappear. We reflect this reality in the score, not manufacture it.

Category context 15%

A 10% discount on a refrigerator means something very different from a 10% discount on a toaster. We compare each deal against the typical discount depth in its specific subcategory, so the score reflects whether this deal is impressive relative to what the market normally offers in that product type.

How to read the score

0–59
Not published — doesn't meet our quality bar
60–69
Solid deal — worth considering
70–84
Strong deal — act if you need this item
85–100
Exceptional — rare pricing, act fast

What we don't publish

Deals scoring below 60 are discarded automatically — they never appear on the site. This is a hard rule. A product that is 5% off its normal price, or is being called a "deal" because of an inflated reference price, will not pass the Value Score threshold.

We also do not publish deals from retailers we cannot verify pricing for independently. Every deal on BuyersCentral has been confirmed against actual price data — not press releases, advertised sales, or retailer claims alone.

A note on approximate prices: Where you see "~" before a price, it means we've confirmed the discount percentage from a verified source but are directing you to the live product page for the exact current price. Prices on Amazon and other retailers change frequently — always check the current price on the product page before purchasing.