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Original poster

Anyone else feeling totally ripped off by a Black Friday 'bargain'?

118 replies

Pliudev · 03/12/2024 18:34

I probably am being U because if I'd read the small print this might never have happened. I splashed out on buying a suede jacket for my DS as his only present. It cost well over £100 but was reduced by £18 for B F. It arrived today. I was horrified to find a plastic bag, 12" x14" on my doorstep and the jacket stuffed inside. The suede is stiff and smelly and the jacket isn't the shape it appeared on the website. It came from Pakistan, though that isn't a problem, but it was unexpected as no mention of it was made in their website which says it's a UK family firm. Anyway, I've opened a dispute on PayPal but the company said they won't refund because it was 'in the sale' and offered me £20 as a goodwill gesture. I'm pretty hard up this year and this has sickened me. I feel so foolish.

OP posts:
Tootsurly · 03/12/2024 20:56

Gingernaut · 03/12/2024 20:45

Boots are doing "Better than half price" on some electric toothbrushes

I bought an Oral B Io8 (reduced from £349.99 to £149.99) and some brush heads (£27, reduced from £54) and brought it home all excited to try out my new toy

Reader, it came with a 2 pin plug

I'm going to have to go out tomorrow and get an adaptor, then charge it up, read the instructions, download the app and try to use it tomorrow

That's standard for an electric toothbrush, I think. Don't you have a shaver socket in your bathroom?

Gingernaut · 03/12/2024 20:54

@Henrythehappypig ,@Oreosareawful and @LigamentBandy - This is my first electric toothbrush. I didn't know 😪

Onlyonekenobe · 03/12/2024 20:54

Oreosareawful · 03/12/2024 20:51

They all come with a two pin plug! 😆

Show quote history

It goes in your shaver socket...in your bathroom....!

GildedRage · 03/12/2024 20:54

i had a piece of luggage in my amazon basket for ages. keeping an eye on up or down price fluctuations. it didn't go on sale BUT same brand same color slightly different shape did...i got the twitch and indeed pressed buy a 30% savings.

Preg1989 · 03/12/2024 20:54

Gingernaut · 03/12/2024 20:45

Boots are doing "Better than half price" on some electric toothbrushes

I bought an Oral B Io8 (reduced from £349.99 to £149.99) and some brush heads (£27, reduced from £54) and brought it home all excited to try out my new toy

Reader, it came with a 2 pin plug

I'm going to have to go out tomorrow and get an adaptor, then charge it up, read the instructions, download the app and try to use it tomorrow

Just to say, don’t be put off by this - an adapter can be picked up for £2-3, making your purchase still a good deal. Boots, Superdrug etc will have one.

Every Oral B brush I’ve bought has a 2 pin plug. My new Philips is keeping up with the times and has a USB charger.

LigamentBandy · 03/12/2024 20:53

@RedRiverShore5 thank you I didn't know that!

andHelenknowsimmiserablenow · 03/12/2024 20:52

Bought some very posh socks for a Christmas present from HoF reduced by 20% in black Friday sale.
£37.40 down to £30.00
Took the price off to wrap them yesterday and underneath was the original price £30...

RedRiverShore5 · 03/12/2024 20:52

LigamentBandy · 03/12/2024 20:43

Sadly its not uncommon
Places like amazon change price all the time, my partner bought me perfume ( slightly random, but only a few UK place can buy it.) by the time it arrived the price had changed three times, up twice then back down to a new bargain price (more than he had paid!)

Show quote history

Amazon do refund the difference if it goes down further than you paid on Black Friday week, I have had refunds before and they appear a few weeks later.

melandlover · 03/12/2024 20:51

I agree, I got a few items much cheaper 2 weeks before black friday. You are more likely to get a bargain if you know what exactly you want and keep a track of it over a period of time.

If you are buying from Amazon I recommend to check price history on camelcamelcamel.com, you can see the price changes over time and tell if it is a real bargain.

LigamentBandy · 03/12/2024 20:51

@Henrythehappypig I was just writing that! It's standard

Oreosareawful · 03/12/2024 20:51

Gingernaut · 03/12/2024 20:45

Boots are doing "Better than half price" on some electric toothbrushes

I bought an Oral B Io8 (reduced from £349.99 to £149.99) and some brush heads (£27, reduced from £54) and brought it home all excited to try out my new toy

Reader, it came with a 2 pin plug

I'm going to have to go out tomorrow and get an adaptor, then charge it up, read the instructions, download the app and try to use it tomorrow

They all come with a two pin plug! 😆

Henrythehappypig · 03/12/2024 20:49

Every electric toothbrush I’ve ever bought has come with a 2 prong plug. I assumed it was because those bathroom shaving sockets have 2 holes. Adaptors are really cheap if you don’t have those (I don’t).

JudgeJ · 03/12/2024 20:47

MargaretThursday · 03/12/2024 18:45

I was keeping an eye on a piece of tech ds wanted on Amazon.
It was listed for around £150.

About a week before Black Friday it went up to £215.
On Black Friday it was listed as 30% off: £150 reduced from £215

Wonder how many people thought they'd got a bargain.

This used to be a common con, I thought the law now stated that an item had to have been on sale at the higher price for a set period of time.

Gingernaut · 03/12/2024 20:45

Boots are doing "Better than half price" on some electric toothbrushes

I bought an Oral B Io8 (reduced from £349.99 to £149.99) and some brush heads (£27, reduced from £54) and brought it home all excited to try out my new toy

Reader, it came with a 2 pin plug

I'm going to have to go out tomorrow and get an adaptor, then charge it up, read the instructions, download the app and try to use it tomorrow

LigamentBandy · 03/12/2024 20:43

Tootsurly · 03/12/2024 20:32

That should be illegal.

Show quote history

Sadly its not uncommon
Places like amazon change price all the time, my partner bought me perfume ( slightly random, but only a few UK place can buy it.) by the time it arrived the price had changed three times, up twice then back down to a new bargain price (more than he had paid!)

Wonderi · 03/12/2024 20:37

I’ve never actually seen a decent bargain on Black Friday.

Usually they increase the price and then reduce it so it looks like a bargain but it really isn’t.

Tootsurly · 03/12/2024 20:32

MargaretThursday · 03/12/2024 18:45

I was keeping an eye on a piece of tech ds wanted on Amazon.
It was listed for around £150.

About a week before Black Friday it went up to £215.
On Black Friday it was listed as 30% off: £150 reduced from £215

Wonder how many people thought they'd got a bargain.

That should be illegal.

User2123 · 03/12/2024 20:14

WarriorN · 03/12/2024 19:38

When I had ds I would start looking in sept for toys for his winter birthday, and he seemed to have a lot of friends with birthdays sept / oct / nov / December

On Amazon I watched prices dropping in September only to really hike before Black Friday. And then drop. As a pp says, often still higher than the sept price.

I remember getting some gifts in sept for birthday parties that I couldn't justify price wise by November. So started buying few of a good birthday party gift in sept for any party coming up that term.

Show quote history

I second this. I do all my Christmas shopping in September. I check the prices again over black Friday sales just out of curiosity and it's always more than it was back in September. The whole thing is a con.

Raera · 03/12/2024 20:13

Really good experience with Landsend.
I ordered a reduced man's jumper and it apparently got lost.
Customer service very apologetic and as the colour I wanted is now out of stock, they sent a different colour I requested and as the price has gone down since I ordered, they are refunding the difference and the postage cost, sending on express delivery and with free gift wrapping.
Well done!

Edingril · 03/12/2024 20:13

Well if people actually thought more and didn't just go 'black Friday sale i have to rush and buy stuff' then they may not feel ripped off?

RedRiverShore5 · 03/12/2024 20:12

Maybe stick to trusted retailers when buying online and learn a bit about consumer law then maybe you won't get so ripped off next time

DelicateSoundOfEchos · 03/12/2024 20:10

Nah. I only buy things I was going to buy anyway. Black friday is really good for restaurant vouchers though.

LigamentBandy · 03/12/2024 20:09

A quick Google of distance selling rules @Pliudev will tell you everything you need to know. I'm sure you will get sorted .
But always remember if it looks to good to be true it is.

OpalSpirit · 03/12/2024 20:02

Oh also if they are Uk based write a very loud review on trust pilot stating they refuse to give refunds and send it to them.
That is what really gets us to solve problems even if the company is not at fault.

Livelaughlurgy · 03/12/2024 19:57

I agree with everyone else, I've had my Black Friday list for a few months so I've a really good idea what something is worth and what I'll pay for it. If you just start picking up bargains on Black Friday it's too late to know if you've gotten a bargain or not.

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