About ten years ago, major retailers like Amazon, El Corte Inglés and MediaMarkt started announcing deals with an English name: Black Friday. Last year, more than 80% of buyers surveyed were considering purchasing on this date, spending just over 200 euros on average. But why that day?
Black Friday is a sales day celebrated on the last Friday of November, imported from the United States, because it is the day after the traditional Thanksgiving holiday. This Friday marks the start of Christmas shopping, with offers in physical stores and especially on the Internet. The shopping frenzy extends throughout the weekend, ending with the following Monday, called Cyber Monday, focused on technology products.
But not all offers are equally attractive. During Black Friday, some stores resort to unethical practices to increase sales and take advantage of consumers’ impulse purchases. A common example is price increases in the days leading up to the event for products that are expected to receive a later discount, with which the discount offered seems greater. This “fake discount” can trick buyers into thinking they are getting a bigger discount, when in reality the final price is very similar to the usual price.
Additionally, some stores exaggerate the limited availability of certain products by broadcasting urgent messages, such as “last items” or “limited time offer,” to encourage impulse purchases. While these messages may be real in some cases, they are often designed to create an artificial sense of scarcity and do not reflect the actual availability of the product.
In other stores online It’s common for extra spending tactics to be used on these dates, adding fees such as shipping, handling, or even packaging at the last moment of the purchasing process. This makes the final price higher than that announced in the offer, without giving the consumer a clear view of the real cost from the start.
Another common practice is to inflate apparent demand through fake reviews or discounted product rankings, which can make a product appear more popular or trustworthy than it actually is. . These reviews and recommendations could come from robots or specialized companies in up to two thirds of cases, which encourage the consumer to buy products which may not offer the promised quality.
How to avoid manipulation and save during Black Friday
The best strategy to avoid falling into any of the traps mentioned above is to plan and not get carried away by impulse, even if the offer seems very attractive. Here are some helpful tips:
- Do your research before Black Friday: before the date arrives, check the prices of the products you are interested in to find out later if the discount is real. To make this easier, use price tracking tools like CamelCamelCamel or Idealo, which allow you to see how the price is changing and receive alerts if it drops.
- Don’t get carried away by FOMO: the fear of missing out on a deal, known as FOMO (fear of missing outafraid of missing out), can play tricks on us. Stores use phrases like “limited offer” or “for today only” to encourage impulse purchases, but remember to analyze whether you really need the product or if it’s the best time to buy it. ‘buy. Some studies point out that this fear of missing out can lead to making unnecessary purchases or spending more than planned, so stay calm and evaluate before making decisions.
- Check return and warranty policies: In some stores, these policies change during Black Friday and may have special restrictions during this time. Additionally, if you are purchasing electronic products, make sure that they come with a warranty and that there are no changes in the terms of after-sales service. Reading the fine print can avoid inconvenience if you decide to return the product or need to use the warranty.
- Set a clear budget and stick to it: Before Black Friday, determine how much you are willing to spend, as deals can make you lose control and spend more than you planned. Have with you a list of what you really need to avoid falling into impulse purchases and remember that planning is essential so that your purchases are efficient and do not cause you to exceed your initial budget.
- Avoid excessive use of credit cards: Delaying credit card payments can lead to an accumulation of interest that, in the long run, will make you pay much more, and saving on discounts will not make sense. If you decide to use a card, check your bank’s policies to avoid additional fees.
- Check the trustworthiness of online businesses: Make sure the websites you buy from are trustworthy and have security protocols such as HTTPS in the address and known payment gateways. Also check reviews from other users on sites like Trustpilot to make sure the company has a good reputation.
- Subscribe to newsletters from your favorite stores: Sometimes stores send special discounts or Black Friday ads to their subscribers, giving them early access to the best deals or providing them with exclusive promo codes that are not always available on their websites.
- Not everything is on sale during Black Friday: certain products in high demand, such as certain video game consoles or Apple devices, are generally never on sale, or have very limited sales. It’s important not to assume that all products are heavily discounted just because they’re on sale on that date.
- Wait for Cyber Monday: The Monday after Black Friday can also offer good discounts, especially on technology products. Online stores even offer better prices on certain items on this day, so if you didn’t find a great deal on Black Friday, you can always get a second chance.
