There will be less good deals and more scams than you think. How can you avoid falling into the Black Friday traps? Euronews Business takes a look.
ADVERTISEMENTBlack Friday deals are in full swing but beware as "there will be more misleading sales than real discounts," Gregory Caret, the director of UFC-Que choisir, the consumer observatory of France’s leading consumer association, has warned.
UFC-Que choisir's recent investigation has shown that, as in previous years, false promotions are proliferating with experts telling Euronews Business that it is exceptional to find a real discount during the Black Friday sales.
Retailers have to display the lowest price within the last 30 days since the implementation of the European directive Omnibus, designed to improve consumer protection. A measure that some retailers bypass.
Manipulated reference price
The bigger the discount, the more vigilant you should be. "If you see a 50%,40% discount, you need to understand that it’s probably a fake promotion : the retailer is manipulating the reference price to fool people into thinking they’re buying at the best selling price with a gigantic promotion," Caret added.
Retailers may increase the reference price before Black Friday.
Take this washing machine for example: "The €349.99 price was only applied from October 18, for a promotion that took place on November 13, not quite 30 days later. The merchant could therefore not take this price as a reference," UFC-Que Choisir said in its report.
Another deceptive practice used by retailers to make you think you’re getting a good deal is to display the highest comparison price of its competitors or the manufacturer’s suggested retail price rather than the original price. "Reference prices you nev ..
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