Black Friday shoppers warned to watch out for ‘dud deals’ at Amazon, John Lewis and more
Black Friday shoppers should be wary of jumping on deals this November, consumer champion Which? warned because he found hundreds of offers that were not what they seemed.
Although it’s known as the best time of year to score a bargain, eight out of 10 items offered on Black Friday weren’t sold at the best price during this year’s shopping event, researchers found.
We compare prices on 175 home, tech and health devices from eight major retailers. Which one? It reveals that 83 percent were cheaper or at least the same price at least once outside of last year’s four-week Black Friday sale period.
Of the eight retailers assessed, John Lewis was found to have the most “bad deals”; 94 percent of its products analyzed were available for at least the same price at another point in the year.
Strikingly, more than half (56 percent) were available at another time at a lower price point.
The researchers gave the example of a Samsung Vacuum Cleaner that was £350 at John Lewis on Black Friday, but was £299 for 29 days in May and June 2024.
This rose to £399 for 35 days in August-September, then rose to £500 in the first week of October.
In another John Lewis deal, a Samsung washing machine was seen priced at £399 on Black Friday, despite being the same price or cheaper 108 times before the sale and 115 times after (more than half the year).
It’s also been called out for offering very, very dubious Black Friday savings, with 93 percent of deals outside the sales event being the same price or cheaper.
Other retailers’ rankings include Amazon with 88 per cent, followed by AO (85 per cent) and Argos (79 per cent).
The best performer was Richer Sounds – although 55 percent of its products would have been at least the same price at another time – suggesting it was “more likely to be the real deal.” Which one? he says.
Tech retailer Currys has made a 2024 pledge to ensure that no discounted items will be cheaper in the six months before Black Friday – and the pledge has been confirmed. But in the six months following the sale event, 84 percent of its products were cheaper or the same price.
The research also revealed examples of retailers choosing Recommended Retail Prices (RRPs) to compare selling price to make the deal “look more generous”.
Which? He gives the example of the Oral B electric toothbrush, which sells for £25 in Boots and is advertised as “Save £25, RRP £50”. However, the product was cheaper or the same price for more than 96 per cent of the year, and the £50 RRP was only in force for 13 days in the six months before the sale.
Reena Sewraz, Which One? The retail editor said: “Our research reveals the harsh truth: For the majority of shoppers, Black Friday is a false economy. Retailers rely on hype and urgency to sell items that are the same price, or even cheaper, at other times of the year.”
“There are good deals to be found, but they can be few and far between. Our experts sift through thousands of deals every day during sales to handpick real deals on items we think are worth buying. Our advice is simple: take your time, don’t be fooled by clever marketing, and do your research.”
A spokesperson for John Lewis said: “Our customers can find great deals with us all year round, but our Black Friday event brings together an unmatched breadth and volume of offers unavailable at any other time of the year and is particularly popular as customers gear up for Christmas.
“And thanks to our Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise, which matches prices from 25 leading retailers, customers can have absolute confidence they’ll receive exceptional value.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We deliver great value to our customers all year round through daily price matching and great seasonal deal events like Black Friday, which ensure our prices are as good or lower than other related retailers sold by Amazon.
“Which? analyzed just 24 products, while Amazon’s Black Friday event offered hundreds of thousands of deals to UK customers.”
An AO spokesman said: “Customers know that Black Friday is now a promotion that runs for at least a month and is not a single day. It’s still a great time to buy and gives customers the opportunity to score a deal ahead of Christmas.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t offer strong value throughout the year either; as these findings show, there are great deals to be had at other times too. We welcome reviews that help customers make informed choices and our focus remains the same, delivering great value not just on Black Friday but every day of the year.”
An Argos spokesperson said: “We believe our customers shouldn’t feel pressured to make a time-sensitive purchase, and Which?’s report shows our Black Friday Price Promise is being implemented. Last year, we offered Black Friday badged deals from 1 November, reassuring our customers that these items were the lowest prices in the last six months and would not be available at a lower price before 25 December.”
A Boots Spokesperson said: “We know our customers enjoy real savings on their purchases at Boots, whether through our Black Friday deals or our year-round bundled promotional programme. We’ve offered discounts on over 20,000 products throughout the Black Friday period in 2024. Being part of this promotional program does not prevent these ranges from being offered at other times throughout the year, as we strive to offer our customers great value for money every day.”
A spokesperson for Curry said: “We’re proud to be recognized for our Black Friday pricing transparency and share Which?’s commitment to holding the industry to a higher standard.
“Restoring consumer confidence has been a key focus for us and it’s disappointing to see other companies in the sector still falling short. More work needs to be done to ensure customers get the best, most reliable Black Friday deals on the high street.”
“For 2025, we’re making Black Friday special again by leading the charge and promising something no major tech retailer has offered before: ‘Our Lowest Price Ever’ The Black Friday event will guarantee every Black Friday deal will be at the lowest price ever – customers will never see it cheaper at Currys.”
A spokesperson from The Very Group commented: “We’re committed to delivering great value in our store all year round. Promotions are important to our customers and Black Friday is just one of many key calendar moments where we showcase some of our best deals.”
A Richer Sounds spokesperson said: “Last year (as in previous years), in the interest of being transparent with our customers, we had a disclaimer on our website from the beginning of November until the end of our Black Friday promotion stating that anything marked ‘Fantastic Black Friday Value’ may have previously been priced lower, but we were happy to still represent fantastic value. Here we were happy to label the products as ‘our lowest price ever!’ We marked as. That’s exactly what they meant; We would never sell a product cheaper. The market may move after Black Friday and in this case we will always try to pass on the extra savings to our customers.
“Supplier-led promotional periods occur throughout the year, but given market conditions affecting retail prices, we are confident that Black Friday remains the best time for consumers to score bargains.”
