Is That Deal Legit? What to Check on Amazon, Walmart and Target

Found an Amazing Deal? Here’s What To Check Before Buying

Have you ever found an amazing price on Amazon, Walmart or Target and thought, Wait…is this actually legit?

Here at The Freebie Guy, we thoroughly check the deals we share because we want you scoring real savings! But when you’re hunting for deals on your own—especially if you’re new to it—it can be tricky to tell an amazing find from an offer that deserves a little side-eye.

One of the first things we check is who’s actually selling the item. You might recognize the website, but that doesn’t mean you’re buying directly from that retailer. Amazon, Walmart and Target all allow outside businesses, called third-party sellers, to sell through their websites.

Plenty of reputable brands and small businesses sell this way, so seeing another seller’s name isn’t automatically a reason to pass. It just means taking a closer look before getting excited about the price.

Let’s walk through where to find those seller details, the clues we look for and the red flags that make us keep scrolling.

First, What Is a Third-Party Seller?

A third-party seller is simply a business other than the website you are shopping on.

Think of the retailer’s website like an online shopping mall. Amazon, Walmart or Target owns the “mall,” but another business may be operating the individual “store” selling the product.

For example, you may be shopping on Walmart.com, but the item could actually be sold by a business called ABC Electronics. Walmart displays the listing and processes the order, but ABC Electronics is the third-party seller providing the product. 

Third-party does not automatically mean fake, unsafe or unreliable. Major brands, small businesses and authorized retailers all use online marketplaces. The important thing is knowing how to check the seller history, reviews, shipping details and return policy before buying.

The Quick Check Before You Buy

Before ordering from a seller you do not recognize, check these five things:

1. Who is selling the item? Do not assume the website itself is the seller.
2. Who is shipping it? The seller and the company handling shipping may be different.
3. Does the seller have a solid history? Look at the number of ratings and the most recent feedback.
4. Do the reviews match the actual product? Reviews about a completely different item are a big red flag.
5. Does the price make sense? Compare the exact model, size and quantity with other stores.

Now let’s look at where to find that information on Amazon, Walmart and Target.

How to Check an Amazon Listing

Amazon has millions of products from both Amazon itself and third-party sellers. Before you add something to your cart, look near the Buy Now or Add to Cart buttons for two important lines:

• Ships from
• Sold by

Those two lines tell you who is actually involved in the order.

What “Sold by” Means on Amazon 

• If the listing says Sold by Amazon.com, Amazon is the seller.
• If it lists another business, you are buying from a third-party seller—even though you are checking out through Amazon.

You can click or tap the seller’s name to open their profile. This is where you can see the seller’s feedback rating, how many ratings it has received and what recent customers are saying. 

What “Ships from Amazon” Means

If an item says Ships from Amazon, Amazon is storing, packing and shipping the product. However, that does not necessarily mean Amazon is the seller.

You might see something like:

• Ships from: Amazon
• Sold by: ABC Electronics

In that situation, ABC Electronics is still the seller. Amazon is just handling fulfillment and customer service. When Amazon fulfills the order, it also handles customer service and returns, giving you a direct point of contact if something goes wrong. This matters because when a third-party seller ships the order themselves, you may need to supply your own box for returns, print a shipping label, and return it through a specific carrier such as USPS—and depending on the return reason and policy, return shipping costs may come out of your refund.

Product Reviews and Seller Feedback Are Not the Same

This one is easy to miss. The reviews on the product page tell you what shoppers think about the product. They don’t tell you whether the specific seller currently offering it is reliable.

Multiple sellers can offer the same item through one Amazon product page. That means an item can have thousands of great product reviews while the seller currently in the Buy Box is brand new, and they might be a bad character that is offering a fake. 

Check both the product reviews and the seller profile before ordering. 

TFG tip: You can check other sellers on the same Amazon listing! Look for “Other sellers” on the product page, then open the available offers. Compare seller feedback, item condition, shipping costs and delivery dates before adding your preferred offer to your cart. 

Amazon Red Flags

• A popular or hard-to-find item priced dramatically lower than every other offer
• A new seller with very little feedback selling large quantities of expensive merchandise
• Recent complaints about counterfeit, used, incomplete or substituted products
• Reviews that clearly describe a different product
• Product photos, title and description that do not agree with one another
• A delivery estimate that changes significantly after you add the item to your cart

How to Check a Walmart Marketplace Listing

Along with selling its own merchandise, Walmart.com also operates Walmart Marketplace which allows 3rd party sellers to list products on Walmart’s website.

A Marketplace item can look almost identical to an item sold directly by Walmart, so look for the seller information near the price, delivery details or Add to Cart button. 

Look for “Sold and Shipped By”

If the listing says Sold and shipped by Walmart.com, Walmart is the seller.

If another company’s name appears there, you are buying from a Walmart Marketplace seller.

Be sure to check again after selecting a size, color, quantity or condition. Different versions of the same product can sometimes be offered by different sellers.

Check the Walmart Seller’s Reviews

Click the seller’s name to see the information Walmart provides about that business. Look at the overall rating, number of reviews and recent comments.

Do not let one random bad review scare you away, but do look for patterns. Several recent complaints about fake tracking numbers, missing orders, counterfeit merchandise or used products being sold as new should make you run the other way. 

Check the Exact Product

Two listings can use very similar photos but still be for different products. Compare the brand, model number, dimensions, package quantity and included accessories.

That “better deal” may actually be an older model, a smaller package or an item that does not include the same accessories.

Read the Return Information

Do not automatically assume every Marketplace item has the exact same return process as something sold directly by Walmart. Review the return details on the listing before ordering, especially for electronics, oversized products, luxury items or gifts that may not be opened right away.

Walmart Red Flags

• A seller with little history offering an unusually large discount
• Recent reports of fake tracking, missing orders or counterfeit products
• A seller name that seems completely unrelated to the products being sold
• A title stuffed with unrelated brand names or search terms
• Photos, description and specifications that contradict each other
• A return policy or delivery date that does not work for your needs

How to Check a Target Plus Listing

Yes, Target has third-party sellers too! Target’s marketplace is called Target Plus. It is a curated program, meaning Target selects the brands and authorized resellers that can participate. It is not as open as Amazon Marketplace or Walmart Marketplace which offers extra protection for us buyers. 

That extra screening is reassuring, but shoppers should still know when an item is coming from a Target Plus Partner instead of Target.

Look for the Target Plus Partner’s Name

On the product page, look for wording that identifies the item as sold and shipped by a Target Plus Partner.

Check the partner’s name, the exact product details, the estimated delivery date and the return information. This is especially important when you are ordering a gift or comparing two products that look nearly identical.

Check the Target Plus Return Window

Most unopened Target Plus items in new condition have a 30-day return period, but some items have different policies or exceptions. Bonus -Target Plus items are generally returned through Target, either in a store or by mail.

Still, check the policy shown on the product page before buying—especially if the item will sit unopened until Christmas or another special occasion.

Warning Signs on Any of the Three Websites

No single warning sign automatically proves a listing is fake. But the more red flags you see, the more cautious you should be.

• The Price Is Way Lower Than Everywhere Else
  • We love a great deal —that is kind of our thing! But if one unfamiliar seller has a brand-new game console, designer bag or viral toy for a tiny fraction of the normal price, do a little digging before celebrating.
  • Search for the exact model at a few other established stores. Make sure you are comparing the same size, quantity and condition.
• The Reviews Are for a Different Product
  • Read several recent reviews instead of relying only on the star rating. If customers are talking about a phone case but the listing is currently selling a kitchen appliance, something is off.
  • Sometimes a listing has been changed or multiple products have been combined. Either way, those old reviews are not giving you reliable information about the item currently shown.

• The Listing Does Not Agree With Itself
  • Compare the title, pictures, bullet points and product specifications. If one section says you receive six pieces while another says four, do not assume the larger number is correct.
  • When the listing is confusing, it is safer to choose another offer than to guess what will arrive.
• The Seller Has a Pattern of Recent Problems
  • A seller can have a strong overall rating while receiving a wave of new complaints. Look at the dates and read the most recent feedback.
  • Repeated complaints about counterfeit products, incorrect items, fake tracking, damaged merchandise or refund problems matter much more than one vague unhappy review.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

If the order never arrives or the product is not what the listing promised, act quickly:

• Take screenshots of the listing, seller name, promised delivery date and tracking information.
• Use the order page to contact the platform or seller to request help.
• Request a return, replacement or refund through Amazon, Walmart or Target.
  • Amazon: The A-to-z Guarantee helps with orders sold and shipped by third-party sellers, including missing deliveries, products that arrive damaged or not as described, and certain unresolved refund problems. Contact the seller and allow at least 48 hours for them to reply and fix, then you can go to Amazon for help. Additional eligibility rules and deadlines apply.
  • Walmart: The Walmart Marketplace Promise provides help with eligible orders sold and shipped by Marketplace sellers, including missing orders, incorrect items and certain unresolved return or refund problems. Contact the seller through Purchase History → View Details → Contact Seller. If the problem remains unresolved, contact Walmart Customer Care and ask about the Marketplace Promise. Walmart gives the seller two business days to find a satisfactory resolution before stepping in.
• Report a suspicious listing or seller to the retailer 
  • Reviews on the product help other shoppers, but reports to the platforms help them remove bad characters.
• If the retailer cannot resolve the problem, contact your credit-card company and ask about disputing the charge.

Before You Place Your Order

We’re not telling you to avoid every third-party seller.  There are a lot of big brands, reputable small businesses, and custom-order companies that use these platforms to reach a wider audience – and it’s a great place to find a new fave brand or seller. Just slow down long enough to know who you are buying from.

Check the seller, read the newest feedback, compare the exact product and review the return details. It only takes a minute, and it could save you from spending weeks chasing a missing package or trying to return something you never meant to order.

A great deal should save you money—not create a giant headache later.