Jessica Wynn uncovers Black Friday's dark secrets — fake discounts, cheaper products, and manufactured urgency — on this week's Skeptical Sunday.Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of&nbsp;The Jordan Harbinger Show&nbsp;where&nbsp;Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher&nbsp;<a href="https://jessicawynn.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessica Wynn</a>!Full show notes and resources can be found here: <a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/1245" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jordanharbinger.com/1245</a>On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:<ul><li>Black Friday "deals" are often illusions. Many retailers quietly raise prices weeks before, then discount back to regular prices, creating fake savings that trigger dopamine responses rather than actual financial benefits.</li><li>Tiered manufacturing means bargains are literally inferior products. Companies create cheaper versions of items specifically for Black Friday sales, using plastic instead of metal parts and downgraded components you won't notice until they fail.</li><li>The shopping frenzy is engineered chaos. Retailers deliberately create urgency and scarcity to exploit loss aversion, where the pain of missing a discount feels greater than the pleasure of getting the item itself.</li><li>Scammers weaponize Black Friday urgency. Phishing sites, fake URLs, and fraudulent sellers exploit the fast-paced nature of Black Friday sales to steal personal information and payment details from rushed shoppers.</li><li>You can outsmart the system by planning ahead. Create a wishlist of genuinely needed items before sales begin, compare model numbers, check price histories with tools like CamelCamelCamel, and only buy what you already planned to purchase.</li><li>Connect with Jordan&nbsp;on <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/THEJORDANHARBINGERSHOW" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at <a href="mailto:jordan@jordanharbinger.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jordan@jordanharbinger.com</a> and let him know!</li><li>Connect with&nbsp;Jessica Wynn&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamjessicawynn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.threads.net/@iamjessicawynn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>, and subscribe to her newsletters:&nbsp;<a href="https://jessicawynn.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Between the Lines</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://storiesbywynn.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Where the Shadows Linger</a>!</li></ul><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here</a> — even one sentence helps! <ul><li>Sign up for <a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Six-Minute Networking</a> — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at <a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jordanharbinger.com/course</a>!</li><li>Subscribe to our once-a-week <a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wee Bit Wiser</a> newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!</li><li>Do you even Reddit, bro? <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Join us at r/JordanHarbinger</a>!</li></ul>This Episode Is Brought To You By <a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Our Fine Sponsors</a>: <ul><li>Uncommon Goods: <a href="https://uncommongoods.com/jordan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">15% off: uncommongoods.com/jordan</a></li><li>Uplift: <a href="https://www.upliftdesk.com/jordan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Special offer: upliftdesk.com/jordan</a></li><li>Apretude: <a href="https://apretude.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn more: Apretude.com or call 1-888-240-0340</a></li><li>Land Rover Defender: <a href="https://www.landroverusa.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">landroverusa.com</a></li></ul>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

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