This has surely happened to you more than once: you look at prices to buy a television, your next iPhone or a product that you usually consume at the supermarket, and It turns out their offer price is the same even more expensive than on other occasions.
In particular, I worked for seven years in the marketing sector and I am very familiar with the techniques that companies use to attract users. Basics like letters in red that make us think there is a discountbut not really, even the recommended prices which are not realistic and seem to represent a higher percentage discount.
The European Union attacks these “offers” which are anything but offers
Recently in Germany Aldi supermarket accused of misleading customers promoting discounts based on immediately preceding price increases in their weekly brochures. The Court of Justice of the European Union upheld this accusation and recalled that an offer must be based on the lowest price of the last thirty days.
You will understand this better with this example:
- On Monday, a kilo of coffee costs 15.99 dollars
- On Thursday, the price of a kilo of coffee rises to 19.99 dollars
- Saturday an offer for the kilo of coffee is launched at 15.99 dollars
This practice does not only occur at Aldi, but in many other stores where it is difficult to maintain traceability. The famous VAT-free days, Black Friday, in perfumery, etc.. European Union regulations are clear and, in fact, this type of practice has been regulated since 1998. However, in 2024 we have already seen how Aldi supermarkets have been denounced in Germany, and we, as consumers, we almost see it in our daily lives.
The fine line between offer and official price
As I mentioned at the beginning, it’s hard to know if this is really a good deal or not. There are products like the iPhone which serve as a guide, since Apple never lowers prices and we know, for example, that the recommended price is 959 dollars. From there, any discount would be an offer. In other areas such as food, general technology or video games, it is more complicated.
Prices apparently on sale which turned out to be their official recommended price
Who is responsible for checking whether the price of this coffee has really increased? It would be necessary to check whether the specific lot, which today costs 19.99 dollars, is the same as the one which previously cost 15.99 dollars. Or maybe not, and the price has really increased and that’s why they want to “make an effort” and put it on sale. This is why, despite clear regulations, each transaction is made and undone until a consumer organization shines the spotlight
Some tips for knowing if you are faced with an offer
Compare, expect and beware of big marketing campaigns. Yes, I know, this goes against the Guille of the past. And while you can definitely find great deals on Black Friday, it’s not uncommon to find a bigger d iscount on a random day in December. Everything will depend on the need/time factor.
If you’re considering renewing your iPhone 15 but aren’t in a particular rush, watch how prices fluctuate for a few weeks. A key tool is CamelCamelCamel, a Amazon price comparison which helps you know the price history to know if it’s better to wait or if you’re really looking for a good deal.
Evolution of the price of an iPhone 15 on Amazon analyzed by the site CamelCamelCamel
Other websites must (by law) report the best offer of the last 30 days. Something really useful for cosmetics and perfumes, because these are products that we generally do not buy regularly and it is really difficult to know the recommended price or the official market price.
Some websites give you information about the previous minimum of last month
The Internet Archive website can help you navigate between different days and find out the price. Something very useful to know if these VAT-free days don’t bring as many bargains as they lead us to believe.
Looking at a website’s history in Internet Archive helps us know if a product is actually for sale
Concerning food, it is much more complicated. At a time when inflation causes prices to vary from day to day, not to mention that these are generally fresh products, Who can assure us that the cost price has really increased? Faced with this, the only thing we can do is be very attentive and even note the prices of the products we usually buy. This way we can detect if the price has increased “by chance” and, within a few days, it becomes on sale.
In general, companies apply sales strategies that fall within the framework of the market and legality. In most cases we are really looking for a good deal. Although as a consumer it is essential to be attentive, compare prices and not get carried away only by flashy campaigns. With the right information, we can take advantage of real opportunities when the time comes.
Source | Court of Justice of the European Union
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