30 Times People Were So Annoyed With Evil Black Friday “Deals”, They Just Had To Expose Them Online
For those who wonder what the world would look like with no rules, there’s nothing quite like a Black Friday bargain hunt to paint the picture. The occasion that’s meant to mark the start of the Christmas shopping season is notorious for turning into the most drama-filled spectacle of the year. After all, it comes with its own ridiculous situations where outrageous sales freak out the already frenzied buyers who can't help but take everything to the next level. I mean, who doesn’t love a "door-busting" deal?
However, the customers aren’t the only ones going into Black Friday with an insatiable appetite for steals. Businesses also know that the game is on. And they go way out of their way to make us believe we’re winning when, in fact, we’re not.
To show you what we mean, we at Bored Panda have gathered some of the most infuriating examples of companies manipulating, deceiving, and downright scamming customers with Black Friday deals. From price increases to less-than-good "discounts," scroll down to see some of the most infuriating attempts businesses try to part people with their hard-earned money. Be sure to upvote the most absurd examples and share your own experiences in the comments!
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This Black Friday Sale Didn't Do A Good Job Of Hiding Their Price Increase
Mom Found This Incredible Black Friday Deal
The Best Black Friday Deal So Far
As Black Friday kicks off the biggest holiday shopping weekend of the year, the pressure is high. Companies try to build anticipation and lure you into spending your savings out of fear of missing out. I mean, you probably already noticed the emails from retailers and brands that are shamelessly bombarding your inbox right now: "The big day is here," "Last chance," "Exclusive discounts," you name it.
For bargain hunters who try to snatch both desired and totally unnecessary items, it can be stressful as there’s a sense of anxiety that someone else will swipe them from right under their noses.
So people head out, go shopping, and they keep spending more and more each year. According to Deloitte’s survey of 1,200 adults, consumers will spend $500 on average during the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a 12% bump from 2021.
Black Friday Is This Price Tag But Nationwide
I Knew The Original Prices Were Increased For Black Friday
Biggest Deals Ever
"With half of holiday budgets expected to be spent over the Thanksgiving shopping weekend, it’s a critical period for retailers. Consumers from every income level are looking to maximize their holiday budgets, therefore seeing value in the promotions set to last throughout the week," global leader of Deloitte Insights, Rod Sides, said.
This Shows Up On Almost Every Product I Checked On Amazon Black Friday Deal. They Raked Up The Price In September In Preparation For Fake Discounts This November
Black Friday vs. Sinsay
Why I Hate "Black Friday Deals"
But as examples in this list show, some businesses are out to make a profit in the most infuriating ways (and then definitely land on Santa’s naughty list!) The strategies retailers use to motivate sales, like inflating original prices and creating a false sense of urgency, are causing anger and mistrust in the business, even the legitimate ones, and Black Friday itself.
What these companies seem to forget is that consumers are smart enough to know when they get ripped off, and they take notice. Heck, many people have made it their mission to call out the ones scamming buyers and rightfully shame them online.
Old Navy Marks Up Before 50% Black Friday Sale
This one isn't fair. Prices do go up and new tags generally aren't provided, so stores have to cover the old price. The markup could have been months or more prior and nothing to do with any promotions.
Lamp I Was Planning To Buy On Wayfair. $25 A Month Ago, $47 On Black Friday
Black Friday Deals: Meanwhile, In Canada
Shady deals and prices are otherwise known as false advertising, an act that involves companies giving out untrue or misleading information to get you to buy something or come to visit their store. This covers anything from product descriptions to pricing, quality, and more. Large organizations might promote benefits you won't actually get, advertise features you didn't expect (and, most likely, won't receive), or give out deceptive pricing.
There Was An Attempt To Have A Black Friday Sale
The Black Friday Deals Are Back
Black Friday Small Text
Earlier, Bored Panda spoke about false marketing and its effects on consumers with Atul Minocha, a partner at the marketing consulting firm Chief Outsiders. According to him, false marketing has an effect on everyone; it's bad for the businesses that practice it and it's obviously bad for the customers.
"But the reason I believe it’s bad for legitimate businesses that have an interest in staying in business for a long time is because false advertising erodes trust. And trust between a company and its customers is fundamental to any company’s long-term success," the author of the book called Lies, Damned Lies, and Marketing: Separate Fact from Fiction and Drive Growth told us.
"[False advertising/marketing] simply builds distrust. In fact, if a customer has been through this a lot, she or he will start distrusting even good and legitimate messages."
Black Friday Sale? 20% Off At Under Armor Outlet On Item Marked Up More Than Typical Price
Here Is Why Black Friday Is A Joke. 20% Off Everything At American Eagle. Oh What's Underneath This Sticker Here
As Black Friday Looms, Curry's Seem To Have Begun Inflating Their Prices Just To Drop Them. These Photos Are Taken 4 Days Apart, And It Wasn't In The Sale
When asked why deceptive marketing is used so widely, Minocha doesn't actually think it forms the majority. "In other words, most of the marketing is legitimate. Unfortunately, a few bad apples can create a lot of stink and distrust," he explained. Having unfortunate buying experiences may spark doubts that lead customers into thinking that all marketing is more or less self-serving.
However, some companies still choose to sell products with deceptive prices, hide disclaimers on billboards and posters, lie on product packaging and deceive their customers into signing agreements without asking to read them first.
"People who practice [false marketing] still do it because, perhaps, they are what we might call fly-by-night operators who are really not interested in long-term success. They are only interested in short-term and immediate gains," Minocha said.
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Best Buy Not Adding Properly. Watch Your Black Friday Charges
Us Brits Don’t Really Get Black Friday
When it comes to how consumers should react when they see deceptive marketing practices, the expert advised people to stay vigilant. If you have personally suffered from it, you should do at least one of these two things (maybe even both): "One, file a complaint with the authorities. And two, use the power of social media to call out any misleading marketing encountered," he noted.
Canadian Walmart Doesn’t Quite Understand How Black Friday Works
I Finally Got It With The Black Friday. It's Really A Great Thing For Amazon. Price 2 Weeks Ago vs. Price In "Black Friday Week"
Why can't these companies just stop trying to make us think something is a good deal!?! Frustrating.
These Black Friday Sales Are Just Too Good To Pass Up
Lastly, Minocha is asking you not to reject all marketing. "I would like to add that most marketing is actually good. Great marketing starts with understanding the customer. This helps customers receive what they would want to receive," he said.
"Pull out bad marketing and make sure it’s not repeated (by reporting to authorities, and by shaming the companies via social media). And reward legitimate and good marketing by giving business to companies that practice this," Minocha concluded.
Black Friday Sale
I Took A Screenshot Of A TV I Wanted So I Could Check Back During Black Friday And See If It Went On Sale. It’s The Same Price But Amazon Marked It As A “Black Friday Deal”
Bestbuy Really Cracking Out The Best Deals For Black Friday
Well the first pic is from when there was a sale but it still doesn't make sense as Black Friday is supposed to be a bigger sale with deeper discounts.
Found This Leading Up To Black Friday
Putting A Ridiculous Markup On Your Cheap Headphones To Bring Them To The Top Of Early Black Friday Deals On Amazon
Black Friday Special
Note: this post originally had 98 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Nothing is quality. Everything overpriced. Nothing much anyone really needs. Fodder for landfills.
Perfect summation...these sales are for gluttonous consumerism, if you buy what you need when you need it only, that's when you will save money. Stop chasing those sparkly thing peeps.
Load More Replies...Black Friday works if you have a list of stuff you know you want, and how much it costs, then you can save some money. This nonsense only works on impulse buyers. Which I admit is most people.
The only thing that actually went on sale this year was video games.
Load More Replies...The only time I got a good deal was boxing day sales about 15 years ago. I was in a mall more less to save on heating and kill time when I noticed H&M putting out “everything for £1” sign. I bought winter coat and some jumpers for £1 each and it totally helped me out as I was broke and my winter clothes were falling apart. I was grateful.
Best way to save money - stay home and don't buy sh*t you don't need. 🤷🏼♀️
Honsetly been fooled before so a bit more carefull now. Still fall for the cute stuff for "sale" for rabbits >_>
Load More Replies...I never do Black Friday, as I know it's all fake sales and hype. Give it about a week after, and you will see very little difference if any at all in the prices
Black Friday isn't the only time this kind of c**p happens. Went to a music shop awhile back having a big sale on bass guitars. In Itty bitty print under the 50% off with an *, it said "some brands excluded". At the bottom of the poster in Itty bitty teeny weeny print next to the * it had a list of the excluded brands...which was EVERY DAMN BRAND THEY HAVE! Like, wth...
The Keepa chrome expansion allows you to view the price historic on Amazon.
This is why I use camelcamelcamel.com and just wait until something is within the price range I’m willing to pay for it.
In Australia, the lowest price on the tag is the price they legally have to sell at. Also, if you can prove that they marked up the prices before having a "sale", they can be given a heavy fine, as it's also illegal. That said, Australia has started adopting the term "black friday", but discounts are pathetic at the best of times. LOL
I once saw a man who was researching brains, make a demo of how advertising works. He had this supermarket make a large yellow poster saing Special offer Chokolate bars 8 each and in much bigger letters 25 for three. Then when people come out with 3 they were asked why they bought 3, and most said because of the good offer. Then they were asked how much 3 bars would cost if you didn't buy them together. Most of them looked very sheepish, when they realised, that the advertising had made them pay more.
I am 67 and have never gone shopping on black Friday or that weekend because of the crowds and c**p like this. I use honey to check the price record of items I buy online so I can catch rises in price so they can ask a fake decrease.
Amazon is really only good for comparing products anymore. I usually find the product I want there and then go direct to the company website. Often it's cheaper or the company has promo codes that make it cheaper. Yeah, it won't show up at your door tomorrow, but there is no need for that. If we can have a little patience, i think we would save more in the long run. We also need to hold brands accountable for the crappy tricks they try to pull. Sometimes we forget that year companies are at the mercy of the consumer. I think calling for a boycott over what a brand does wrong would have less impact than letting them silently slip into nothingness while taking our money to a different brand and praising those brands for what they do right. Don't let yourself become a billboard for a brand that doesn't care about you.
It's not just a problem with black Friday, though. Think about the fact that people are forced to pay more for products for 2-3 months in advance just to fool impulse buyers for Black Friday sales. So everyone is punished. Need to buy clothes? Kids toys? Early holiday shopping? School supplies? TV broke, and you're hosting for holidays? You're just screwed no matter what.
So Black Friday is not a deal anymore. Honestly, I find better deals during the regular year, so I don´t even bother with the lunacy of such scam.
Got to sleep late this morning because I bought Christmas gifts when the things I wanted were REALLY on sale.
All of this is why I do not participate in gift buying as a celebration of cultural holidays anymore. Birthday gifts of items that will genuinely be useful and appreciated, but no more pointless consumption. Everything is too expensive but of very poor quality. It's just waste and pollution.
Had exactly the same thing 35 years ago - was looking at a matching necklace and earrings set. Bought the necklace for Xmas, then in the January "sale", the earrings were "reduced" to exactly the price they had been two weeks earlier. I just pity the manager of the store who has to put up with huge increases so that it looks like the rest of the chain are reducing them.
I wonder how many fall for these scams because they either can't do math, or are just so determined to buy something?
"98 evil marketing techniques" / *shows maybe two (markups, 0% saved claims), but 98 pics of said two*
Nothing is quality. Everything overpriced. Nothing much anyone really needs. Fodder for landfills.
Perfect summation...these sales are for gluttonous consumerism, if you buy what you need when you need it only, that's when you will save money. Stop chasing those sparkly thing peeps.
Load More Replies...Black Friday works if you have a list of stuff you know you want, and how much it costs, then you can save some money. This nonsense only works on impulse buyers. Which I admit is most people.
The only thing that actually went on sale this year was video games.
Load More Replies...The only time I got a good deal was boxing day sales about 15 years ago. I was in a mall more less to save on heating and kill time when I noticed H&M putting out “everything for £1” sign. I bought winter coat and some jumpers for £1 each and it totally helped me out as I was broke and my winter clothes were falling apart. I was grateful.
Best way to save money - stay home and don't buy sh*t you don't need. 🤷🏼♀️
Honsetly been fooled before so a bit more carefull now. Still fall for the cute stuff for "sale" for rabbits >_>
Load More Replies...I never do Black Friday, as I know it's all fake sales and hype. Give it about a week after, and you will see very little difference if any at all in the prices
Black Friday isn't the only time this kind of c**p happens. Went to a music shop awhile back having a big sale on bass guitars. In Itty bitty print under the 50% off with an *, it said "some brands excluded". At the bottom of the poster in Itty bitty teeny weeny print next to the * it had a list of the excluded brands...which was EVERY DAMN BRAND THEY HAVE! Like, wth...
The Keepa chrome expansion allows you to view the price historic on Amazon.
This is why I use camelcamelcamel.com and just wait until something is within the price range I’m willing to pay for it.
In Australia, the lowest price on the tag is the price they legally have to sell at. Also, if you can prove that they marked up the prices before having a "sale", they can be given a heavy fine, as it's also illegal. That said, Australia has started adopting the term "black friday", but discounts are pathetic at the best of times. LOL
I once saw a man who was researching brains, make a demo of how advertising works. He had this supermarket make a large yellow poster saing Special offer Chokolate bars 8 each and in much bigger letters 25 for three. Then when people come out with 3 they were asked why they bought 3, and most said because of the good offer. Then they were asked how much 3 bars would cost if you didn't buy them together. Most of them looked very sheepish, when they realised, that the advertising had made them pay more.
I am 67 and have never gone shopping on black Friday or that weekend because of the crowds and c**p like this. I use honey to check the price record of items I buy online so I can catch rises in price so they can ask a fake decrease.
Amazon is really only good for comparing products anymore. I usually find the product I want there and then go direct to the company website. Often it's cheaper or the company has promo codes that make it cheaper. Yeah, it won't show up at your door tomorrow, but there is no need for that. If we can have a little patience, i think we would save more in the long run. We also need to hold brands accountable for the crappy tricks they try to pull. Sometimes we forget that year companies are at the mercy of the consumer. I think calling for a boycott over what a brand does wrong would have less impact than letting them silently slip into nothingness while taking our money to a different brand and praising those brands for what they do right. Don't let yourself become a billboard for a brand that doesn't care about you.
It's not just a problem with black Friday, though. Think about the fact that people are forced to pay more for products for 2-3 months in advance just to fool impulse buyers for Black Friday sales. So everyone is punished. Need to buy clothes? Kids toys? Early holiday shopping? School supplies? TV broke, and you're hosting for holidays? You're just screwed no matter what.
So Black Friday is not a deal anymore. Honestly, I find better deals during the regular year, so I don´t even bother with the lunacy of such scam.
Got to sleep late this morning because I bought Christmas gifts when the things I wanted were REALLY on sale.
All of this is why I do not participate in gift buying as a celebration of cultural holidays anymore. Birthday gifts of items that will genuinely be useful and appreciated, but no more pointless consumption. Everything is too expensive but of very poor quality. It's just waste and pollution.
Had exactly the same thing 35 years ago - was looking at a matching necklace and earrings set. Bought the necklace for Xmas, then in the January "sale", the earrings were "reduced" to exactly the price they had been two weeks earlier. I just pity the manager of the store who has to put up with huge increases so that it looks like the rest of the chain are reducing them.
I wonder how many fall for these scams because they either can't do math, or are just so determined to buy something?
"98 evil marketing techniques" / *shows maybe two (markups, 0% saved claims), but 98 pics of said two*