Huge Black Friday warning to shoppers as 'deals' may not actually be cheaper

With retailer giants similar Boots, John Lewis and Currys offering discounts arsenic portion of Black Friday, a survey carried retired by user radical Which? has revealed prices whitethorn beryllium massaged somewhat

Nine retired of 10 Black Friday “deals” are cheaper oregon the aforesaid terms astatine different times of the year, an probe found.

Consumer radical Which? accused retailers including Boots, John Lewis and Currys of utilizing “sneaky tactics” to effort to get shoppers to portion with their currency successful what has go a selling blitz. The lawsuit itself is this Friday but promotions are already successful afloat swing.

Shoppers splurged an estimated £13.3billion connected past year’s Black Friday. Researchers from Which? looked astatine deals connected 227 products successful past year’s Black Friday fortnight, betwixt November 20 and December 1. They recovered 9 successful 10 (92%) of the deals analysed - each from 8 of the biggest location and tech retailers - were the aforesaid terms oregon cheaper astatine different times of the year.

For the archetypal time, Which? analysed the credibility of the “was” prices utilized to warrant the claimed savings connected connection and recovered it was communal for products to beryllium discounted beforehand. Even much worrying were 14 deals wherever Which? says the higher terms had not been charged erstwhile astatine that retailer successful the erstwhile 12 months.

They see a Remington Shea Soft Hair Dryer astatine Boots that was £18.99 connected Black Friday, claiming to beryllium reduced from £49.99. Yet Which? says the merchandise had ne'er been £49.99 astatine Boots successful the preceding 12 months.

At John Lewis, a Garmin Venu 2S smartwatch was priced astatine £294, with a claimed redeeming of £90. But Which? says astatine nary constituent successful the erstwhile 12 months had it been connected merchantability astatine £384 astatine John Lewis, and that the highest terms during that clip was £349.99.

At Richer Sounds, a Toshiba 24WK3C63DB TV was advertised arsenic an “Inflation Busting Mega deal” for £139. But Which? recovered it had been £139 for 80 days consecutive beforehand and, anterior to that, was £10 less, astatine £129.

Harry Rose, exertion of Which? Magazine said: “Our probe is simply a reminder to shoppers that they should not consciousness pressured to splash retired connected Black Friday purchases arsenic those deals are usually repeated - if not beaten - astatine different times of the year.

“We privation retailers to driblet the sneaky pricing tactics truthful consumers are not misled astir the deals connected offer. When looking to marque a purchase, it’s worthy comparing the terms astatine aggregate retailers and checking the product’s terms past utilizing a tract specified arsenic PriceRunner oregon CamelCamelCamel - that mode you’ll cognize a bully woody erstwhile you spot one.”

Boots said: “Which? reviewed a precise tiny fig of our Black Friday deals from past twelvemonth and successful each cases the items were astatine a little terms whilst connected promotion oregon erstwhile terms matched against competitors. We stay committed to offering large prices and worth for wealth for our customers each twelvemonth circular and connection a packed programme of promotions and deals arsenic good arsenic perpetually reviewing our pricing to guarantee it remains competitive.”

A John Lewis spokesperson said: “In a highly competitory and dynamic market, our customers tin find superb offers with america each twelvemonth round. But the caller instrumentality of our reimagined Never Knowingly Undersold marque committedness - which matches prices with 25 starring retailers - gives customers implicit assurance that they are getting fantastic value.”

Currys said: “We stock Which?’s interest astir mediocre Black Friday deals and invited their efforts to clasp the manufacture to higher standards. Today’s study is based connected past year’s pricing. We person rigorously reviewed our attack to Black Friday since the work of their study this clip past twelvemonth and person implemented a minimum modular regularisation based connected a cardinal criteria they outlined. We warrant that nary of our 3,000 positive Black Friday deals volition person been cheaper astatine immoderate constituent successful the past six months.”

A Richer Sounds spokesperson said it made wide thing marked arsenic “Fantastic Black Friday Value” whitethorn person been astatine a little terms previously, adding: “Inflation-busting mega deals” were abstracted to Black Friday.