The key facts
- A UK parliamentary committee held hearings on fake Black Friday discounts
- Amazon, TikTok and John Lewis refused to answer MPs' questions
- Examples: a Samsung washing machine at £399, a price in effect for 61% of the year, and a toaster on Amazon more expensive than two months before the sale
Hearings on 'discounts' that don't exist
The UK Parliament's Business, Innovation, Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into possible discount manipulation during the Black Friday season. As reported by Life.ru citing the official parliament website, the trigger was complaints about sales where a discount looks attractive but offers no real savings: sellers use former higher prices for comparison, even though the item has long been sold at a lower price.
Specific examples and companies' refusal
At the hearings, MPs cited specific cases. A Samsung washing machine was offered at John Lewis during Black Friday for £399 — a price at which it had been sold for 61% of the year. A toaster on Amazon was sold 'on sale' for £21.87 instead of £29.99, even though two months before the sale it could be bought for £20. Sue Davies, a representative of the consumer organisation Which?, confirmed that such pricing tricks are found among various retailers, and shoppers can often buy the item at the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.
Companies failed to appear, inquiry continues
Three major market players — Amazon, TikTok and the John Lewis retail chain — refused to appear at the hearings and answer MPs' questions, which irritated parliamentarians. Committee chair Liam Byrne said the inquiry would continue and that, if necessary, the committee would use its powers to secure the appearance of business representatives. The committee is also examining whether the government and the antitrust regulator have sufficient powers to combat misleading discounts. The inquiry itself does not yet mean that the named companies have been found to be in violation.
