Method

Wiser Check labels

A SQL rule runs nightly and on demand for the listing we check. It compares today's price with that listing's own history, never with another seller's.

• Lowest in 90 days

  Listed price is at or below the listing's own 90-day low, and below its 90-day median.

  Wiser Check · At least 60 of the last 90 days tracked.

• Good price

  Listed price is at least 5% below the 90-day median and at or below the 30-day low.

  Wiser Check · At least 21 of the last 30 days tracked.

• Usual price

  Listed price is within 5% of the 90-day median.

  Wiser Check · At least 21 of the last 30 days tracked.

• Cheaper recently

  Listed price is at least 3% above the 30-day low. We show "RM X on DD Mon".

  Wiser Check · At least 21 of the last 30 days tracked.

• Discount smaller than claimed

  The "was" price is at least 5% above our 90-day high, or appeared on fewer than half of the last 90 days.

  Wiser Check · At least 60 of the last 90 days tracked.

• Price rose before the sale

  The median price of days −30 to −3 before the sale is at least 8% above the 90-day median before that, and the sale price only undoes the rise.

  Wiser Check · About 120 days tracked. Shown only after the seller has been notified.

• Not enough history

  Fewer than 21 of the last 30 days tracked. Pages show "Tracking since 28 Sept 2026" plus the editor's manual check.

Priority and guards

• When several rules match: price rose before the sale (if notified) → discount smaller than claimed → lowest in 90 days → good price → cheaper recently → usual price. Not enough history overrides everything.
• A cheaper variant added in the last 7 days reads "cheaper variant added", not a price drop.
• A discount shown on 80% or more of tracked days is treated as the normal price.

True cost

True cost = listed price + shipping − shop voucher − platform voucher − coins − card or e-wallet cashback.

• We show Listed, Checkout (public vouchers) and, later, Your best.
• Every term that does not come from a platform API is tagged "estimated, confirm at checkout".
• Vouchers come from the promo rules table, updated weekly by the editor with a source link.

Wiser Score

Wiser Score = 10 × (0.30 Price + 0.20 Availability + 0.25 Quality + 0.10 Service + 0.15 Fine print).

• Price30%
• Availability20%
• Quality25%
• Service10%
• Fine print15%

• Each component is 0–1, set by a named human editor. The commission rate is hidden from the scoring screen.
• An amber or red Wiser Check caps the score at 4.9 ("Wait").
• A non-official seller in beauty, sneakers, memory cards or chargers caps it at 7.0.
• "Not enough history" marks the score provisional.
• The community "worth it" percentage always shows its vote count and is never blended into the score.

Score bands

• 9.09.0–10Excellent value
• 7.57.5–8.9Good value
• 5.05.0–7.4Fair, only if you need it
• 4.9Below 5.0Wait or skip

Data sources and sampling

• Prices are recorded at least once a day per listing from the platform page or API; we keep the daily close.
• We check one listing per product (the primary listing, usually the official store) and name it on the page.
• Every price claim names its listing, platform, window and check time.
• Product images come from the affiliate feed or our own photos, credited. No brand or marketplace logos in badges or graphics.

Disclosure policy

• Affiliate links are labelled on every page and caption.
• Sponsored units look different (a gold bar naming the sponsor) and the score is set independently.
• At most 1 published post in 5 is sponsored. Sponsored deals must still pass the Wiser Check.
• A human editor signs every verdict.

Language we use

• We never write "cheapest ever" or "guaranteed lowest".
• We never call a named seller fake or a scam. We state the facts we tracked, then our opinion.

Changelog

1. Version 1.0 in effect from 28 Sept 2026 · current

   First public version of the Wiser Check, True cost and Wiser Score rules.