November marks the arrival of Black Friday, a time when many shoppers take advantage of the opportunity to buy Christmas gifts early or make long-desired purchases at more attractive prices. In this region, Black Friday falls on November 28. However, DECO PROteste warns consumers with several tips to make the most of this sales period: “Ensure good purchases and sidestep frauds.”
“Before making a purchase, it’s advisable to research products and compare prices from different stores. The premise of Black Friday brings the promise of significant discounts on a range of products. Yet, sometimes these offers do not translate into real opportunities for good deals,” cautions the consumer defense organization.
In fact, “in 2015 and 2016, for instance, DECO PROteste recorded several cases where prices increased days before Black Friday to simulate more appealing, yet misleading promotions for consumers.”
Furthermore, “in 2017 and 2018, it continued to find examples, although fewer than in previous years, of deceptive promotions during Black Friday and other discount periods.” Then, “in 2019, over the same period, several irregularities were detected, such as: some promotional products did not display the previous price or the percentage of reduction; some stores did not present a crossed-out price, which had previously been lower; in certain cases, there was no actual price reduction.”
“In 2020 and 2021, it was once again noted that there were no real price reductions in specific products,” the organization concludes.
Since “2022, with new rules requiring retailers announcing promotions to show a discount on the lowest price in the 30 days preceding the start of the price reduction, DECO PROteste identified several stores that compared the store’s price with the ‘recommended retail price’ (RRP) or with the ‘market price.'”
“This practice was not compliant with the law and gave the impression of savings that might not be real. In 2024, two years after the law came into effect, such cases continued,” according to the organization’s website.
Before you buy, get informed
This is where the Price Comparison tool by DECO PROteste comes in, which “helps determine if the discounts announced during periods like Black Friday or Cyber Monday are truly good deals.”
“This search tool tracks the evolution of product prices at online stores to recommend or not recommend their purchase. Simply search by store name and product, or more conveniently, enter the complete product URL in the ‘Search by URL’ box as it appears on the online store,” the site states.
Then, the result returned is a traffic light system with three colors and different meanings, based on the product’s price history over the last 21 days:
- Green, indicating a good deal compared to the product’s price history at the searched store;
- Yellow, for products whose current prices show little difference compared to the previous 21 days;
- Red, advising against the purchase because the product price had been lower.
“The verdict is accompanied by information on the price trend recorded over the last seven days, one month, and three months. If a product was recently launched or relaunched, or if there was a change in the associated codes, or if a certain category of products is not in DECO PROteste’s database, the tool reports that the search returned no results,” the organization explains.
Tips for better Black Friday shopping
DECO PROteste also shares other tips to make the most of Black Friday:
- “If you plan to take advantage of Black Friday deals to shop for yourself or to give as Christmas gifts, prepare before visiting stores or ordering online”;
- “If you know in advance which products will be on sale, it will be easier to confirm if they are good deals. Try to obtain this type of information through flyers, by subscribing to newsletters from your favorite stores, or by following them more closely on social media”;
- “When purchasing, most consumers act instinctively and emotionally. Sellers and brands are aware and use tactics to prompt consumers to opt for certain products or to make quick decisions without reflection”;
- “The best deals are typically those that sell out the fastest. If you intend to shop in a physical store, check its opening hours and your availability to visit in the early hours of the day. If shopping online, just wait for midnight”;
- “Note, Black Friday campaigns are often not limited to that day. Generally, stores start promotions a few days early. If you’re very interested in a product, it might be wise not to wait to purchase it on that day”;
- “Some sites allow you to buy online and pick up the product at a physical store within a set time. This can be an option to consider if you don’t have much time or want to avoid shipping costs and the large crowds during Black Friday”;
- “If you shop online, you have the right to return the product within 14 days. This right does not apply to in-store purchases, where the merchant is not obliged to accept returns (except for defects, for instance). In this scenario, check if the store accepts returns, under what conditions, and if there are special rules for returning products during sale periods.”
