Shoppers looking for a bargain on Black Friday have been warned to do their research and check the small print before parting with their money.
City law firm DMH Stallard has highlighted a few of the tricks of the trade retailers use to persuade unsuspecting customers that they are getting a great deal when, in reality, they are not.
Joanna Potbury, Associate at DMH Stallard, said:
“There are numerous tactics that unscrupulous retailers use to bend the rules and confuse people into thinking the price they are paying is good value.
“Whether they are in breach of consumer law or not, some of the promotions are nothing short of sharp practice.”
Examples include:
Promoting a higher ‘was’ price when the item has been available for longer at a lower price
Increasing the price of a single item just before setting a multi-buy price that in fact offers no value at all
Making a seasonal offer when the item was only ever available at a higher price out of season
Marketing larger packs as ‘great value’ but the unit price is actually higher than buying a smaller amount
