Misleading Sales Practices: The EU Checks Black Friday Discounts

EU finds misleading discounts in Black Friday Cyber Monday screening 2026

Have you ever seen a big 'SALE' sign online and wondered if the discount was really as good as it seemed? The European Commission and national consumer protection authorities investigated exactly this question.

They looked at how online shops presented discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Their findings, published on March 26, 2026, were not encouraging for consumers.

Many of the 'discounts' they found were misleading. In some cases, shops raised the original price just before the sale so that the discount looked bigger than it really was.

For example, a product might normally cost €30. Before the sale, the shop changes the price to €50.

Then during Black Friday, they offer it for €35 and claim you are saving 30%. In reality, you are paying €5 more than the normal price.

This practice is illegal in the EU under consumer protection law. The EU law requires that the 'original price' shown must be the lowest price the product was sold at in the 30 days before the discount.

Shops that break this rule can be fined. The EU authorities said they would take action against businesses that use these misleading practices.