Price tags are red, wallets are empty: how not to fall into a trap during sales

With the approach of “Black Friday”, shops and marketplaces lure buyers with discounts of up to 90%, crossed out by price tags and countdown timers. However, behind the high-profile promises of savings, marketing tricks often lurk to make people spend more than planned.

“MK in the Leningrad region” talked with associate professor of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Irina Karapetova, who told how to recognize artificial discounts and not get caught by the tricks of sellers.

According to the expert, one of the common tricks is to overstate the original cost of goods. For example, before the sale, the price is raised to 10 thousand rubles, and then reduced to six thousand, announcing a 40% discount. At the same time, before the goods could cost the same six thousand rubles.

Another technique is to create artificial scarcity. Reports about the last minutes of a promotion or a limited number of products cause buyers to rush and refuse to compare prices.

Karapetova also warned of hidden discount conditions. The low cost can only work when you subscribe, buy several goods or pay with a certain card. Additional services and delivery can negate the savings.

The expert advises to track the cost of the right goods in advance, compare the offers of different sellers and carefully study the terms of the shares. Particular attention should be paid to the configuration, reviews and reputation of the store.

If the seller misleads the buyer, it is necessary to save screenshots of prices and conditions of the promotion, check and correspondence. With a complaint, you can contact Rospotrebnadzor, and with signs of unreliable advertising – to the FAS.

The main thing, according to the expert, is to assess the real benefit, not the size of the promised discount. Even an honest sale will result in unnecessary expenses if you buy an unnecessary thing.