Are Black Friday Deals Real? How to Spot Fake Discounts in 2026
Not every Black Friday deal is what it seems. A Which? investigation found 85% of deals were available cheaper at other times. Here's how to spot the fakes and find the genuine bargains.
Are Black Friday Deals Genuine?
Some are, but many aren't. A widely-cited Which? investigation found that 85% of Black Friday products were available at the same price or cheaper at other times during the year. However, this doesn't mean Black Friday is a scam — it means you need to be smart about which deals you trust.
Certain product categories like Ring doorbells, air fryers, and AirPods consistently hit their genuine lowest prices on Black Friday. The trick is knowing which deals are real and which are marketing tricks.
How Retailers Fake Black Friday Discounts
Here are the most common tactics UK retailers use to make deals look bigger than they are:
1. Inflated "Was" Prices
The most common trick. A retailer raises the price weeks before Black Friday, then "discounts" it back to the normal price. UK Trading Standards requires that the "was" price must have been the selling price for at least 28 consecutive days in the previous 6 months — but enforcement is patchy.
2. Old or Discontinued Models
A "50% off" TV deal sounds incredible — until you realise it's a 2024 model that was already being clearance-priced. This isn't necessarily bad (older models can be great value), but it's not the blockbuster deal the advertising suggests.
3. Bundles That Inflate Value
"Worth £500 — now £299!" screams the bundle deal. But the included case, screen protector, and extended warranty were low-cost add-ons valued at retail prices nobody actually pays.
4. Limited Stock Pressure
"Only 3 left!" warnings create urgency. Sometimes this is genuine scarcity, but often it's a tactic to prevent you from comparing prices elsewhere.
How to Verify a Black Friday Deal Is Genuine
- Check price history — Use tools like PriceRunner, CamelCamelCamel (for Amazon), or PriceSpy to see the price over the last 6-12 months. If the "deal" price is the same as last month's price, it's not a deal.
- Compare across retailers — Check the same product at Amazon, Currys, Argos, and John Lewis. Our store pages make this easy.
- Ignore percentage discounts — Focus on the final price, not the percentage off. A "70% off" deal from an inflated price is worse than a genuine "20% off."
- Research the product first — Know what you want before the sales start. Impulse Black Friday purchases are the ones most likely to be fake deals.
- Check the model number — Make sure you're looking at the current model, not a discontinued version being cleared out.
How to Avoid Black Friday Scams
Beyond fake discounts, genuine scams spike during Black Friday. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reports a 36% increase in phishing attacks between August and October, with a 250% spike in fake shopping websites ahead of Black Friday.
Red Flags for Scam Websites
- No "https" or padlock icon in the browser
- Prices that are significantly lower than every other retailer
- Poor grammar, spelling errors, or low-quality images
- No physical address or customer service contact details
- Payment only by bank transfer (no credit card or PayPal option)
- Recently registered domain name
Phishing Attacks
Scammers send emails and texts pretending to be from Amazon, Royal Mail, or other trusted brands, claiming there's a problem with your order. Never click links in unexpected emails — go directly to the retailer's website instead.
Social Media Scams
Fake ads on Facebook and Instagram offering luxury products at 90%+ discounts are almost always scams. If a deal on social media looks too good to be true, it is.
Products That Genuinely Are Cheapest on Black Friday
Despite the warnings above, these categories reliably hit their lowest annual prices on Black Friday in the UK:
- Ring doorbells — 40-51% off every year without fail
- Ninja air fryers — £149 for the AF400 (normally £230)
- AirPods — Genuine 15-25% off at Amazon and Currys
- Amazon Echo devices — Regularly half price on Black Friday
- Dyson styling tools — The only time of year they see significant discounts
- Nintendo Switch bundles — Console + game bundles at their annual best prices