Fake Black Friday discounts: how to spot them

Black Friday is the peak of "great deals"… and of fake discounts. Every year, retailers raise prices beforehand to then display spectacular but fictional rebates. Here's how to spot the real deals on Black Friday.

The classic move: inflate, then "drop"

Two to three weeks before the event, a coveted product's price quietly climbs. On the day, it "falls" 40% — but versus the inflated price, not the real one. Result: you pay the usual price with the illusion of a deal.

The 4 anti-scam reflexes

• Check the price history over several months, not the day before. The curve doesn't lie.
• Compare multiple retailers: a real deal is rarely the same price everywhere.
• Beware unknown sites: odd URL, suspicious hyphen, payment off the official site = danger.
• Ignore false urgency: a genuinely good price doesn't vanish in 10 minutes.

A real promo code is never paid for

Another rising scam: fake promo codes. A legitimate code never asks for your card details to be "unlocked". If a site demands payment for a code, run.

The right method

Build your list before Black Friday and watch the target prices. UniverTrack records the usual price, detects suspicious pre-event hikes and only alerts you when the drop is real. For dates, see our Black Friday 2026 guide.