Most consumers think Black Friday discounts are false

Black Friday. Are the discounts for real? | BALLESTEROS

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma24/11/2017 00:00

The Facua consumers association has conducted a social-network survey about Black Friday and has found that 83% of consumers believe that discounts being offered are false. The results are very similar to previous years. In 2016, 82% of respondents thought that the vast majority of businesses were offering false discounts.

More than 11,000 people took part in the latest survey. Black Friday could therefore be #BlackFraude, so the association is inviting the use of this hashtag on social networks if an alleged fraud is discovered. Facua wants consumers to be "fraud hunters". In order to detect any scams, previous adverts or recent purchase receipts can be used to compare prices on offer for Black Friday.

If consumers suspect that discounts in stores aren't real, they are advised to take photos and then disseminate these via social networks and to file complaints with regional consumer protection authorities. Apparent fraud can occur in different ways, such as with prices having been increased in the days before Black Friday, so that when they are on offer, they are back to the original price.

Facua says that these practices amount to consumer fraud. It criticises the lack of control, which is the consequence of an abandonment of consumer protection policies by regional authorities. The association would like there to be inspections before and during Black Friday.