Huge Black Friday warning as 9 in 10 'deals' actually cost more than they would usually do

A recent investigation by consumer group Which? has revealed that nine out of 10 Black Friday "deals" could potentially be found at lower or the same prices at different times throughout the year. Retailers such as Boots, John Lewis, and Currys have been accused by Which? of employing "sneaky tactics" to entice consumers into spending during what has evolved into a marketing frenzy.

The scrutiny comes as Black Friday promotions are already underway, ahead of this Friday's shopping event, which saw a whopping £13.3 billion expenditure last year.

Analysts from Which? examined price trends of 227 items during the previous year's Black Friday period, from November 20 to December 1. They found that an overwhelming majority (92%) of the products, sold by eight major tech and home retailers, were the same price or less expensive at other times within the year, reports the Mirror.

Additionally, for the first time, Which? scrutinized the reliability of the "was" prices used by retailers to substantiate offered savings, discovering a frequent pattern where items had been on sale prior to the event. A particularly concerning finding was the identification of 14 instances where the supposedly higher original price hadn't even been charged once by the retailer in the past 12 months.

One highlighted example involves a Remington Shea Soft Hair Dryer sold at Boots for £18.99 on Black Friday, advertised as reduced from £49.99, though Which? claims that it never held the £49.99 price tag at Boots in the preceding year.

John Lewis came under scrutiny as a Garmin Venu 2S smartwatch was priced at £294, with a claimed saving of £90. However, Which? revealed the product had not been sold for £384 in the 12 months preceding the sale, noting that the highest listed price was actually £349.99.

Richer Sounds also faced criticism for marketing a Toshiba 24WK3C63DB TV as an "Inflation Busting Mega deal" for £139, when Which? discovered it had been available at the same price for the 80 days prior and had previously been priced even cheaper at £129.

Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, commented on the findings by highlighting consumer caution: "Our investigation is a reminder to shoppers that they should not feel pressured to splash out on Black Friday purchases as those deals are usually repeated - if not beaten - at other times of the year."

He said: "We want retailers to drop the sneaky pricing tactics so consumers are not misled about the deals on offer. When looking to make a purchase, it's worth comparing the price at multiple retailers and checking the product's price history using a site such as PriceRunner or CamelCamelCamel - that way you'll know a good deal when you see one."

Responding to the report, Boots stated: "Which? reviewed a very small number of our Black Friday deals from last year and in all cases the items were at a lower price whilst on promotion or when price matched against competitors. We remain committed to offering great prices and value for money for our customers all year round and offer a packed programme of promotions and deals as well as constantly reviewing our pricing to ensure it remains competitive."

A spokesperson for John Lewis said: "In a highly competitive and dynamic market, our customers can find brilliant offers with us all year round. But the recent return of our reimagined Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise - which matches prices with 25 leading retailers - gives customers absolute confidence that they are getting fantastic value."

A representative from Currys said: "We share Which? 's concern about poor Black Friday deals and welcome their efforts to hold the industry to higher standards. Today's report is based on last year's pricing. We have rigorously reviewed our approach to Black Friday since the publication of their report this time last year and have implemented a minimum standard rule based on a key criteria they outlined. We guarantee that none of our 3,000 plus Black Friday deals will have been cheaper at any point in the last six months."

Additionally, a spokesperson from Richer Sounds mentioned its policy regarding Black Friday deals, stating, "Inflation-busting mega deals" were separate to Black Friday, and clarified anything marked as "Fantastic Black Friday Value" may have been at a lower price previously.