“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

People on social media have been slamming Target over their seemingly fake Black Friday deals, as a trend on TikTok sees people unveiling sticker prices as being equal regardless of the day.

DeJay Downey, a DJ from Los Angeles, USA, posted a video on her TikTok page which has been viewed 37.4 million times, where she was filmed spotting a Black Friday price tag on a 75″ inch Samsung TV – marked at $649.99.

However, upon sliding the Black Friday price out of the sign holder, another sale tag was unveiled, informing that the TV was priced at $649.99.

People on TikTok exposed Target’s seemingly fake Black Friday deals, as people unveiled sticker prices as being equal regardless of the day

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: djdowneygirl

DeJay went on to film a smaller 65″ television that has been marked with a Black Friday sign, retailing at $429.99.

But after sliding the Black Friday sign once again, another sale tag stated that the TV cost the same price: $429.99.

DeJay could be heard saying in the video: “Oh, it’s the same,” as a man asked: “Black Friday deal. That’s a deal?”

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: djdowneygirl

The pair moved on to find a separate Samsung TV distinguished with a Black Friday sign, this time priced at $329.99.

The shoppers repeated the process of sliding the price tag out before revealing, once again, a sign reading the exact same price: $329.99.

The man said: “Bro, that’s not a deal.”

Shoppers slid a Black Friday price tag out before revealing a sign reading the exact same price: $329.99

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: djdowneygirl

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: djdowneygirl

“Oh, it’s the same,” a woman said after exposing the price tag behind a TV’s Black Friday deal

@djdowneygirl #deals ♬ original sound – DeJay Downey

TikTok users rushed to the comment section to share their disbelief, as a person wrote: “This is why I stayed in bed relaxing!”

Another person commented: “That’s why I didn’t go shopping anywhere.

“It’s been a gimmick for years!”

A separate individual penned: “You are exposing their secret.”

“It’s to trick us into thinking it’s a bargain, don’t fall for it,” an additional TikTok user chimed in.

“You are exposing their secret,” a person commented on TikTok

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: Shabaz Usmani

TMZ reported that other TikTok users have exposed their own encounters with the questionable deals, with a man hitting Target’s clothes section.

The TikToker filmed himself peeling back a sticker price for a pair of pants, which then showed the tag had been upped in price from $25 to $30.

An analysis of previous Black Friday sales found that 98% of the deals were the same price or cheaper at other points during the year. None were cheaper on Black Friday alone, as per CNBC.

Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com, told the broadcaster that stores try to tempt people with discounts, but “I don’t know that Black Friday has the same level of value that it did years ago.”

“I don’t know that Black Friday has the same level of value that it did years ago,” a consumer analyst said

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: target

According to The Washington Post, many retailers’ markdowns are not what they seem, with some sales for 30, 40, and 50 percent off being simply rollbacks, returning prices to their starting points.

They “mark up the prices and then offer seemingly deep discounts to make the deals look more attractive,” Jie Zhang, a professor of marketing at the University of Maryland, told the publication.

She added: “This is a form of deceptive pricing.”

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

Image credits: Target

Deceptive pricing is a tactic meant to trick shoppers into thinking they’re getting a better price than usual and usually involves a retailer raising the price on a particular item for a short period, only to mark it down to the original price while marketing it as a limited-time, the Post reported.

The Impact Lawyers have stated that the trick can mislead consumers into thinking they are getting a better deal than they actually are, and therefore, authorities may crack down on such practices, imposing fines and penalties on businesses found guilty.

Bored Panda has contacted Target for comments.

Many people shared their own grievances with Black Friday deals

“It’s To Trick Us”: Shoppers Slam Target Over Alleged Fake Black Friday Prices

I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

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As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

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What do you think ?

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Benjamin Sanderfer 11 months ago (edited)

I worked in retail for 16 years (11 years for Target and 5 years for Kohls). While I worked at Kohls, I was a team leader for the crew that set the sale signs throughout the store (called the "Ad Set Team"). Here's what I learned: All items at Kohls are required to be regular price for about two weeks per year, and can be on sale the other 50 weeks of the year. When they are on sale, they will typically be around 50% off. During the two weeks they are not on sale, they will be part of a "Buy One, Get One" promotion, essentially making them 50% off. In short, if you see a "Sale" at Kohls, you are likely just paying what they think is the normal price, and it's all smoke and mirrors otherwise. Them telling you that you saved $243 (or whatever the price is) at the register is just a ploy to get you to come back. You didn't save anything.

7points