Have you ever used a discount or coupon and wondered if you are getting ripped off? Or bought a sale item and thought, “Is the quality of this item different from the regularly-priced one?”

There is no harm in asking such questions and we understand where the concern is coming from! People tend to think that discounted items are of less quality – an older stock, from a collection that has been phased out, or something like that.

But keep in mind – just because coupons and discounts are available does not mean the items are of low quality. Many of you might be familiar with the Born shoes coupon which is easily available all-year round! This company, like many others, simply wants to entice the customers to buy what they want for a cheaper price, hence the Born shoes coupon. There is no question about high or low quality there.

Despite this, we are here to debunk the stereotypes about discounted items for you.

How Can You Tell if an Item is High Quality or Not?

1. Be familiar with the industry lingo.

Different industries offer different items, which therefore require another set of materials and processes. This translates to an “industry lingo” that you need to learn because they have certain terms to describe the methods and materials that you might not find elsewhere.

For example, the tags on your bed sheets will give you different terms and information than those of your running shoes. You should also know what you are prioritizing in a certain item so you can find the product (and brand) that is right for you.

2. Do background checks on the brand and customer reviews.

Of course, there will be terms that you won’t find on the product itself so doing personal research will help. It’s not enough to examine the product; you have to look into the company itself before buying anything for the first time.

You will notice that companies and brands that routinely produce high-quality items will have a strong customer base that is loyal throughout the seasons. Checking customer reviews on online threads will save you a lot of trouble because these are real-life stories of people’s experiences.

On the other hand, companies that produce bad products will be known for it too, and past customers will warn potential ones.

3. Manage your expectations.

As with any new item in the market, be realistic. Some reviews or influencers may be biased. There may be some customers who failed to understand or use the product the way it was intended. This is especially common for electronic items and gadgets, so be careful.

It is also worth remembering that even high quality items will have weak points. Signs of wear and tear throughout the years will be noticeable and these cannot be escaped. But you are definitely better off with a higher quality item than a cheap and poorly-manufactured one.

So – don’t fret over discounted items. Most of the time the brand is simply trying to encourage you to purchase from them and let’s be honest – coupons and promo codes succeed in making us do just that!