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.
"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.
#7 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
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.
#11 Lamp I Was Planning To Buy On Wayfair. $25 A Month Ago, $47 On Black Friday
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.
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."
#16 Black Friday Sale? 20% Off At Under Armor Outlet On Item Marked Up More Than Typical Price
#17 Here Is Why Black Friday Is A Joke. 20% Off Everything At American Eagle. Oh What's Underneath This Sticker Here
#18 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.
