How to Spot a Fake Discount: A Field Guide for UK & EU Shoppers
Most Black Friday deals aren't deals. Here's a five-step checklist to tell a real markdown from a marketing prop, including the EU Omnibus rule retailers don't want you to know.
By The Assistant De Venté Editors
Every November the same product appears with a different sticker. The "RRP £499 → £299" laptop that's been £329 since August. The "save 40%" toaster whose only 40%-higher price existed for nine days last Christmas. This is a field guide to telling marketing from a markdown.
1. Check the 30-day low, not the "RRP"
Under the EU Omnibus Directive (and similar UK ASA guidance), retailers should reference the lowest price in the previous 30 days, not an inflated RRP. Most comply on the product page footnote — but the headline strikethrough often ignores it. If a retailer doesn't show a 30-day low, treat the discount as decorative.
2. Compare across retailers, not within one
A "£100 off" sign is meaningless without a second data point. The fastest cross-check is a comparison tool — if three other UK retailers carry the same SKU within £10 of the "sale" price, the discount is fictional.
3. Beware bundle inflation
"FREE £50 headphones with this laptop" usually means the laptop costs £50 more than it did last week. Strip out the bundle and price the items individually.
4. Watch the model number suffix
"Sony WH-1000XM5" and "Sony WH-1000XM5/B" can be the same headphone — or one can be a retailer-exclusive variant with a slightly different driver or warranty. Exclusive SKUs exist specifically to prevent price comparison. If the SKU on the sale page doesn't appear anywhere else, that's the reason.
5. Set an alert, don't chase a banner
The most expensive Black Friday move is buying because the banner says "ends in 04:21:08". Set a price alert at your target price and let the deal come to you. Most categories see better real prices in mid-January or the third week of February.
What we actually fall for
Even when we know all this, urgency framing works. Retailers know this too. The best defence is a 24-hour rule: anything over £100, sleep on it. The "deal" will almost always still be there tomorrow, or a better one will exist by next week.