The reference price
The 12,000 BTU (3.5 kW) PortaSplit trades around £900 at its usual UK sources. That is the figure to measure any offer against. There will be small differences between retailers and the odd genuine promotion, but if a price sits well above that with no clear reason, it is almost always scarcity dressed up as a deal — not a better version and not a different unit.
The markups that appear when stock is thin
When the model sells out, third-party listings pop up on marketplaces well above the reference, sometimes with slow delivery or sellers with no track record. The logic is simple: they are pricing your urgency during a heatwave. It rarely pays off. The normal price returns once stock settles, and waiting a few days for an official source usually beats paying a premium for speed you may not even get.
Signs to be wary of
Be cautious if the price runs comfortably above ~£900 for no reason, if the seller is a brand-new third party, if the photos or spec don't match the real model, or if delivery slips to weeks out. When in doubt, cross-check Appliances Direct and Amazon.co.uk. Our radar records the price seen at each source, so you have an honest reference before you commit rather than a number invented in the heat of the moment.
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