How we work
How we pick, and how we’re paid.
The short version: we choose first, and only then check whether a link earns.
Sabrage is a small Canadian shopping publication, edited by Nicolle Weeks, with two desks: Style & Beauty, and Home & Tech. Here is how a sale or a piece earns its place, what our labels mean, and where the money comes from.
01What makes the list
A sale or a piece makes the list only if we would tell a friend about it. In practice, that means three things:
- a brand or product worth owning,
- a discount that’s real against what it usually sells for, and
- a retailer that ships in Canada.
We judge the price and the timing. We don’t run a test lab, and we defer to others for deep product testing.
02How we check
We open every price we quote on the retailer’s own site and stamp the date we checked it. If we haven’t seen it ourselves, we say so. If a sale hasn’t been announced, we call it a forecast and tell you what we’re basing it on.
When a retailer says “up to 70% off,” that claim belongs to the retailer, and we attribute it. We don’t repeat a “was” price we have reason to doubt.
03Our calls
- Buy now
- The price is good and waiting is a risk: stock, sizes, or it won’t go lower. We only say it when the sale is confirmed.
- Wait
- Something better is very likely on its way. We name the event or the date.
- Watch
- Too soon to say. We tell you what we’re waiting for.
- Skip
- Not a real deal: a shallow discount, an inflated “was” price, or a better option elsewhere. We give the reason in one line, and we’ll say it even when the retailer pays us commission.
04How sure we are
- Confirmed
- We saw it on the retailer’s own site or official announcement, on the date shown.
- Reported
- Other outlets report it. We haven’t seen it on the retailer’s site yet.
- Forecast
- Not announced. Based on last year’s pattern, which we name.
Every card and every pick carries a “Checked” date.
05What we don’t do
- We don’t take payment for placement.
- We don’t let commission rates decide what we list.
- We don’t publish prices we haven’t checked.
- We don’t invent staff, bylines or reader quotes.
We use AI tools to help find sales and draft copy. A person checks every price and makes every call.
The photographs on this site are stock images, there to set a mood. They never show a product we’re recommending. A product photo, where we show one, is credited to the retailer.
06How we make money
Some links earn us a commission if you buy. It costs you nothing, and it never changes a verdict. Paid links are marked paid link right beside the link.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Our rule for ourselves: choose the picks first, then look up whether a link earns. If two retailers have the same piece at the same price, we link the one with the better return policy or shipping.
07Corrections
If we get a price, a date or a fact wrong, we fix it and say so on the card: “Corrected [date]: we originally said X.” We don’t remove errors without a note. If a sale ends or sells out during an event, we mark it Ended.
No corrections so far. When there is one, it will be listed here with the date.
Spotted an error? Write to the editor, Nicolle Weeks, at [email protected].