Watch out for these dodgy Black Friday sales tactics

Australian retailers have been warned that trying to pull the wool over customers’ eyes during this year’s Black Friday sales could result in penalties.

A notice published by the ACCC confirmed that Australia’s consumer watchdog will keep an eye out for “misleading or deceptive sales advertising used by retailers”. Last year, the ACCC cracked down on various tactics that could confuse customers about discounts or whether they were saving as much as advertising claimed.

“We are putting retailers on notice to review their sales advertising practices to ensure that any sales or discount claims they make are accurate, clear, and not likely to mislead or deceive consumers,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe.

“Misleading advertising may influence a consumer’s behaviour and impact their ability to make an informed purchasing decision during the sales.”

Some of the potentially misleading sales tactics on notice include:

• Inaccurate sale countdown timers that create a false sense of urgency
• Advertised ‘sitewide’ sales that exclude some items
• Sales materials that make it difficult to see any ‘up to’ disclaimers

As big as the Black Friday sales are, they are no guarantee that customers will find the best deals. To save as much money as possible leading up to Christmas, the ACCC recommends doing your homework and comparing prices before the sales start.

“If consumers are waiting for the Black Friday sales to make a big purchase, we encourage them to consider checking the prices now before sales start, so they can compare the price and determine if they are making a legitimate saving,” Lowe said.

Another tactic the ACCC is watching for is retailers using ‘recommended retail prices’ when advertising savings. Some retailers already sell products below RRP, so this practice can artificially inflate the value of a discount.

The ACCC asked Australians to report any potentially misleading advertising via its website, while being wary of any fine print when shopping during the Black Friday sales.

The post Watch out for these dodgy Black Friday sales tactics appeared first on GadgetGuy.

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