Cyber Monday Backlash: Shoppers Question Whether the Deals Are Real

November 27, 2025

After a decade of Cyber Monday hype, online shoppers are beginning to push back. Viral Reddit threads and TikTok videos are exposing how many “doorbuster” prices are actually year-round discounts in disguise, prompting what analysts are calling the first real backlash to the e-commerce holiday.

The illusion of the deal

Price-tracking tools such as CamelCamelCamel and Keepa show that up to 62% of listed Cyber Monday prices match or exceed prices from earlier this month. In other words, the big red banners may not mean what they used to.

Why shoppers are fed up

• Recycled discounts: Same items, same prices, new “limited time” labels.
• Algorithmic scarcity: Websites use countdown timers to simulate demand.
• Psychological fatigue: After a month of sales noise, buyers crave authenticity.

What experts suggest

Financial coaches recommend treating Cyber Monday like a clearance event, not a guarantee of lowest prices. The real bargains, they say, appear when retailers clear stock after December 10th.

As consumer awareness spreads, 2025 could mark the year Cyber Monday began to lose its shine—and shoppers began to take back control of their carts.