• We are bombarded with MEGA deals, SUPER prices, HYPER sales. It is now easier than ever to make an impulsive purchase decision in a matter of seconds.
• What can you miss? Common sense and the real lowest price, the trap of deferred payments, a quick click on a cleverly designed screen, or buying unwanted goods from Asia.
• Here is how to get through Black Friday with more control over what you buy.

Black Friday marks the start of the pre-Christmas shopping frenzy – a time for bargain hunters and record profits for stores. It is also a time of increased risk that consumers will fall into traps: excessive purchases and over-indebted wallets. That is why we are reminding you what to look out for when you are distracted by enticing adverts and shop displays.

– Black Friday is the beginning of large-scale advertising and promotional campaigns. Amid this shopping fever and the extremely strong pressure exerted on consumers, we should try to make careful and sensible decisions. I would like to remind everyone that price reductions must be clearly and legibly indicated, as should the terms of availability of goods, delivery and payment. I wish all of us informed and safe shopping experience – says President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny.

MEGA discount? Check the lowest price from the last 30 days

Numbers matter in promotions. They are supposed to catch your eye. Not only the crossed-out amount and the big “-70%”, but also the clear and legible lowest price from the 30 days before the reduction. The discount should be calculated on the basis of that price. Information about this price should appear wherever the store tempts you with a discount: on the label, in the online store or in the app. Thanks to this, you can assess whether the discount is a genuine reduction or just a MEGA sales trick and a label swap. You can read more about the price labelling rules in our press release and clarifications.

SUPER deals from the other side of the world

Social media and search engines are filled with ads that, at first glance, look like attractive offers from domestic stores: a Polish-sounding name, a story about a “warehouse clearance”, promises of discounts up to -80%. Only after checking the terms and conditions does it become clear that the actual seller is a non-EU business, and the site operates on an intermediary or dropshipping basis. You can find more about SUPER traps linked to this in our guide “Shopping from Asia?”.

HYPER easy debt

“Buy now, pay later” offers are especially tempting for more expensive purchases. Adverts emphasise convenience, speed and often “no money required to start”. Remember that, in practice, it is a form of a credit or loan. Failure to repay on time may mean interest, fees and other costs that turn convenience into a HYPER burden on your budget. See how deferred payment services work and “Check whether you can afford it!”.

ULTRA smart screens

Sales are the perfect environment for dark patterns – clever and deceptive website and app features that push you to make an uninformed choice that financially benefits the seller. A countdown clock showing the “last minutes” of a promotion, which resets when you refresh the page; a cart automatically adding insurance; or obstacles to cancelling a subscription that you activate with a single click – these are some of the examples of such ULTRA tricks. Beware!

EXTREME marketing power, but…

Shops, e-commerce platforms and influencers flood us with advertising messages, but it is you who decides what goes into your cart and what you pay for. Labels like “bestseller”, the number of likes, enthusiastic comments, pressure in the form of “last items” and the “opportunity of a lifetime” are meant to stir your emotions and engagement. They aim to create the feeling that everyone is buying, that you will lose out if you do not take advantage of the opportunity. Knowing that this is all part of a sales strategy helps you keep EXTRA distance and avoid reacting automatically. We explain how to defend yourself against this and make more informed decisions in our guide “You too have an impact!”.