Consumers are being bombarded with tempting offers, advertising messages and emails ahead of Black Friday, which falls on 27 November this year. However, behind eye-catching discounts and promises of major bargains may lie potential traps, prompting the Cyprus Consumers Association to urge the public to be particularly careful when shopping.
Speaking on the Protoselido programme, the association’s legal officer, Virginia Christou, outlined practices that should raise concerns, warning that incidents of online fraud also increase during sales periods.
She noted that while Black Friday in the United States, where the shopping event originated, typically lasts one or two days, businesses in Cyprus begin advertising related offers much earlier.
“In Cyprus, businesses tend to start their sales very early, using the term Black Friday,” she said, adding that some retailers began promoting Black Friday offers as early as the beginning of October this year.
Consumers becoming more cautious
Christou explained that Cyprus has no legally established sales period, meaning businesses can reduce prices at any time of the year.
Looking back at last year’s Black Friday, she said several businesses chose not to offer discounts during the event, instead waiting until December and the Christmas shopping period.
She also observed that consumers have become more cautious in recent years, having realised that discounts in the Cypriot market are not necessarily as substantial as those advertised in other countries.
“Discounts in Cyprus reach up to 25%, or 30% at best, with some exceptions where they can reach 40%,” she said.
There are, however, cases where retailers offer genuinely attractive deals. Christou recalled that last year, queues formed outside two businesses because their discounts were particularly substantial.
The 30-day rule and misleading discounts
One of the most important issues highlighted by the association’s legal officer was the 30-day rule, which governs how advertised price reductions must be calculated.
Christou advised consumers to monitor the price of a product during the month before a sale to establish whether the advertised discount is genuine.
She gave the example of a product originally sold for €100 and subsequently reduced to €50. The €50 price would then be the lowest price charged during that period.
Even if the retailer later raises the price back to €100, it cannot use that amount as the reference price when advertising a new discount.
“For a business to take advantage of Black Friday and put a discount on a product, it must use the lowest price that applied during the previous 30 days,” she explained.
“In the example I gave, the discount must be applied to €50 and not €100.”
Consumers should therefore monitor prices regularly rather than relying solely on the discount percentages displayed in advertisements.
Watch out for online scams and unrealistic offers
Christou also warned about online shopping, saying some businesses use the sales period to defraud consumers.
She said advertisements on social media can lead users to websites promising discounts of 75% or even 80%.
“It is advisable to check that the company actually exists, that it operates in at least one European country and that there is activity on its website,” she stressed.
Consumers should also check whether a business has a genuine presence and provides all the necessary information, including its registered address.
The association regularly receives complaints from people who make online purchases but never receive their products, receive something different or defective, or are unable to contact the company.
“Many businesses block consumers’ contact details after taking their money and disappear. It is extremely difficult to get your money back,” Christou said.
Anyone who falls victim to such practices should report the incident to the Police, specifically its cybercrime unit, as well as the competent authority at the Ministry of Commerce.
She explained that if a website is found to be operating illegally or engaging in practices that harm consumers, the Ministry is responsible for taking the necessary action, which may include shutting it down.
She also called for the details of such businesses to be made public so that consumers can be warned and avoid similar cases.
Check receipts and understand return policies
Another issue highlighted by Christou concerns discrepancies between the price displayed on a shop shelf and the amount charged at the till.
She said this is among the complaints frequently received by the association, not only during sales periods but throughout the year.
“We urge people, particularly now, to keep their receipts and check that the price charged for a product matches the price displayed on the shelf, and that they have not been charged more or deprived of the advertised discount,” she said.
Consumers should also understand the rules governing product returns.
According to Christou, when a purchase is made in a physical shop, the retailer’s own returns policy applies. This determines whether the customer can receive a refund or exchange the product.
Online purchases are subject to different rules.
“If we buy something online, however, the law is stricter. We have 14 days from the day we receive the product to inform the business that we do not want it, return it and receive our money back,” she said.
Countdown timers and the false ‘last chance’ offer
Messages claiming that an offer is available for a limited time, often accompanied by countdown timers showing only a few minutes remaining, are another practice that can mislead consumers.
Christou revealed that the association has repeatedly filed complaints about such tactics, which pressure shoppers into making immediate purchases for fear of missing a deal.
In some cases, however, the same company returns the following day with exactly the same offer and a new countdown timer.
She said complaints were also submitted at European level against two well-known international platforms that used this practice.
“This points to a misleading practice if the company returns with the same proposal and the same offer within a very short period,” she said.
Christou urged consumers to report such cases to the association so that they can be examined and, where necessary, referred to the Ministry of Commerce for further investigation and possible fines.
Also read: EU targets online subscription traps and misleading sales tactics
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