Some Black Friday deals are real, but most aren't as special as they look. When consumer group Which? tracked 175 products on sale at eight big UK retailers in the 2024 Black Friday period, 83% were the same price or cheaper at least once in the six months before or after, and none was at its lowest price of the year on Black Friday itself (Which?, November 2025). Black Friday 2026 is on Friday 27 November, so you have three weeks to find out which deals are worth waiting for.
Photo: Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash
This guide shows how retailers make discounts look bigger than they are, what the law in the US and UK says about "was" prices, and the seven-step check we use before recommending any deal.
How often are Black Friday deals actually the cheapest price?
Rarely. Which? has tracked Black Friday prices for several years, and the result is consistent: genuine all-time-low prices exist, but they're the exception.
| Which? study | Products tracked | Same price or cheaper at other times | Cheapest on Black Friday itself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Friday 2022 (published Nov 2023) | 208 | 98% within six months before or after | 2% (5 products) |
| Black Friday 2024 (published Nov 2025) | 175 | 83% at least once outside the four-week sale | None |
Sources: Which? 2023, Which? 2025.
The 2025 study also broke results down by retailer. The share of Black Friday "deals" that were the same price or cheaper outside the sale was 94% at John Lewis, 93% at Very, 88% at Amazon, 85% at AO, 84% at Currys and 79% at Argos. Richer Sounds did best, at 55%.
That doesn't mean Black Friday is a con. It means the label "Black Friday deal" tells you nothing on its own. You have to check each price.
What tricks make a discount look bigger than it is?
These are the patterns that come up again and again in price-tracking studies and in our own coupon checks:
- Inflated "was" prices. The higher price was charged briefly, or not at all. Which? found an Oral-B toothbrush advertised as "save £25, RRP £50" had only been sold at £50 for 13 days in the previous six months.
- Recommended retail prices (RRP) nobody pays. A discount "off RRP" can still be the normal everyday price.
- Black Friday prices that already happened. Which? found a Samsung robot vacuum at £350 on Black Friday that had been £299 for 29 days earlier in the year.
- Price rises after the sale. Some items dropped further in January. A Samsung TV listed at £1,039 on Black Friday fell to £759 in the following six months.
- "Up to" headlines. "Up to 70% off" may apply to a handful of items; most of the sale is far less.
- Countdown timers and "only 2 left". Urgency claims push you to buy before you compare.
- Exclusive model numbers. Retailers sometimes sell a slightly different model number for big sales, which makes it hard to compare prices. Check the full model number, not just the product name.
- Hidden extra costs. Delivery, "service" fees, paid returns and costly add-ons can wipe out the saving.
Is it legal to show a fake "was" price?
Not if it's misleading, in both the US and the UK. The rules differ in detail.
| United States | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Main rule | FTC Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR Part 233) | Consumer protection law, now enforced directly by the CMA |
| What a "was" price must be | The "actual, bona fide price" at which the item was "openly and actively offered for sale, for a reasonably substantial period of time" (eCFR) | A genuine price that isn't misleading about the size of the saving |
| Enforcement | FTC and state attorneys general; many class actions over "phantom" markdowns | Since 6 April 2025, the CMA can fine firms up to 10% of global turnover (CMS) |
| Also banned | Deceptive pricing under the FTC Act | Fake reviews and "drip pricing" (hiding unavoidable fees until checkout) |
In practice, these rules are enforced slowly and after the fact. They're a reason to complain, not a reason to trust a "was" price at checkout.
How do I check whether a Black Friday deal is real?
Use this seven-step check on anything over about $50 or £50. It takes five minutes.
- Write down today's price for the things you're planning to buy, or add them to a wish list now. Then you'll know whether the Black Friday price is lower.
- Look up the price history. Use camelcamelcamel or Keepa for Amazon, PriceRunner in the UK, or the price-history panel in Google Shopping. You want the lowest price in the last three to six months.
- Compare the exact model number across at least three retailers. Exclusive Black Friday variants can hide a worse spec.
- Check the brand's own store. Brands often match or beat retailers during the sale, and many add free gifts or bundles. Our store pages list the brand-direct codes we've tested.
- Add up the full cost: delivery, returns, extended warranty pressure and any "service" fees.
- Check the return policy and price promise. Long holiday return windows and price-match policies protect you if the price drops again in December.
- Stack what's allowed: sale price, one valid code, then loyalty points or cashback. See how to stack discounts.
If the price isn't lower than the three-to-six-month low, it isn't a deal. Wait.
How do I use a price tracker? A worked example
Here's how the numbers work on a real case from the Which? research. A Samsung 55-inch TV was £1,039 on Black Friday 2024 at AO, and its lowest price in the following six months was £759.
- Look up the model's price history for the last six months before you buy.
- Note the lowest price in that period (the "recent low").
- Compare: if the Black Friday price is above the recent low, the deal isn't real for you.
- Decide whether the item is worth waiting for. In this example, waiting would have saved £280, or 27%.
Price trackers also let you set alerts. Add an alert at your target price now, and you'll be notified if it drops, whether that's on Black Friday or in January.
What should I check for each type of product?
The "deal" questions change depending on what you're buying. This is the checklist we use:
| Product | What to check before buying |
|---|---|
| TVs | The full model number and model year: last year's model is often the real discount, and Black Friday-only models may have lower specs |
| Laptops | Processor generation, RAM and storage, not just the brand and screen size |
| Robot vacuums and appliances | Whether the "deal" is an older version of a newer model |
| Mattresses | Trial length, return fees and warranty, not just the price (see our mattress timing guide) |
| Subscriptions (VPNs, software) | The renewal price after the first term, as well as the intro price |
| Marketplace gadgets | The seller, the delivery estimate and the return cost (see is DHgate legit?) |
| Gift cards and bundles | Whether you actually want everything in the bundle |
Which products really are cheaper on Black Friday?
Discount depth varies a lot by category. Adobe's analysis of US online sales gives a useful guide to where the biggest genuine price cuts were in 2025:
| Category | Peak discount, Black Friday 2025 | Peak discount, Cyber Monday 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics | Up to 29% | 31% |
| Toys | Up to 28% | 28% |
| Apparel | Up to 25% | 25% |
| Computers | Not reported | 23% |
| TVs | Not reported | 22% |
| Furniture and appliances | Not reported | 19% |
Sources: Adobe Analytics via SGI Europe and Adobe.
Two things stand out. First, electronics discounts were deeper on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday in 2025, so it can pay to wait until Monday 30 November. See our Cyber Monday 2026 guide. Second, "up to" figures are peaks, not averages: most items in a category are discounted less.
When is the best time to buy, if not Black Friday?
| What you're buying | Often cheapest | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics, TVs, headphones | Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday | Cyber Monday 2026 |
| VPNs and software subscriptions | Black Friday (long-term plans) | NordVPN vs Surfshark |
| Mattresses | Black Friday and US holiday weekends such as Presidents' Day | Best time to buy a mattress |
| Marketplace gadgets | 11.11 (Singles Day) | AliExpress 11.11 2026 |
| Portable power stations | Prime Day and Black Friday | Choosing a power station |
| Gifts that must arrive by Christmas | Before the carrier cut-off, not after it | Christmas shipping deadlines |
Are Black Friday deals from brands better than from big retailers?
Often, for smaller and direct-to-consumer brands. Brands such as EcoFlow, Jackery, BLUETTI, Soundcore and NordVPN run their own Black Friday sales, frequently with bundles, extra accessories or longer subscription terms that marketplaces can't match. Brand stores also tend to have clearer warranty and return terms.
The trade-off is that a brand sells only its own products, so you can't compare across brands in one place. Check the brand price, then check one or two big retailers, then decide.
How do we check the deals and codes on PickMeADeal?
We think a deals site should show its working, so here's ours:
- Codes are tried at checkout by an editor before they're listed, and each offer shows when it was last checked.
- Store facts come from the store's own site (shipping, returns, warranties) and are dated on the page.
- We don't call something a deal just because it's in a sale. In our guides we compare against recent prices and say when waiting is the better choice.
- We earn a commission when you buy through some links. It never changes the price you pay, and it doesn't decide which deals we say are worth it.
What should I do if a Black Friday deal turns out to be fake?
- Check the return or price-match policy. If the price drops within the window, many retailers will refund the difference or let you return and rebuy.
- Complain to the retailer in writing, with screenshots of the "was" price and the price history.
- In the UK, report misleading prices to Citizens Advice (which passes reports to Trading Standards).
- In the US, report deceptive pricing to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to your state attorney general.
FAQs
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November.
Are Black Friday deals cheaper than the rest of the year?
Usually not by much: Which? found 83% of 2024 Black Friday deals were the same price or cheaper at least once outside the sale period.
What is the best website to check price history?
Use camelcamelcamel or Keepa for Amazon, PriceRunner in the UK, and Google Shopping's price history for other US stores.
Is Cyber Monday better than Black Friday?
For electronics it can be: Adobe found peak electronics discounts of 31% on Cyber Monday 2025, compared with up to 29% on Black Friday.
Is it illegal to fake a "was" price?
Misleading former prices break consumer law in both the US (FTC pricing guides) and the UK, where the CMA can now fine firms up to 10% of global turnover.
Related reads: When is Black Friday 2026? · Cyber Monday 2026 · How to stack discounts
