Consumer rights
Black Friday 2026: how to spot a fake discount under EU rules
EU law says a discount must be measured against the shop's lowest price in the last 30 days. Here's how to check a Black Friday deal in two minutes.
Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026, and the "-50%" banners are already going up. But many of those discounts aren't what they seem. When EU consumer authorities checked 314 online shops during last year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday, at least 30% did not follow the EU rules on showing price reductions. The good news: one simple EU rule lets you check almost any deal yourself.
The 30-day rule, in plain English
Since 28 May 2022, EU price rules (the Price Indication Directive, as updated by the so-called Omnibus Directive) say that whenever a shop announces a price cut, it must show the prior price — and the prior price is the lowest price the shop applied in at least the 30 days before the reduction.
It covers:
- percentage discounts ("-30%"),
- crossed-out "was" prices,
- "€20 off" claims,
- and general promises like "Black Friday deal" or "special offer" that suggest a lower price.
It applies in physical shops and online alike.
The Aldi case that made it stricter
Some retailers tried to show the 30-day lowest price only in small print, while calculating the big discount from a higher, more recent price. In September 2024, the EU Court of Justice ruled against this in a case brought by a German consumer group against the supermarket chain Aldi Süd (case C-330/23).
The example in the case was bananas:
| What the leaflet showed | Price |
|---|---|
| New price | €1.29/kg |
| Crossed-out "was" price | €1.69/kg |
| Discount claimed | -23% |
| Lowest price in the previous 30 days | €1.29/kg |
Because the bananas had already cost €1.29 within the last 30 days, the court said the discount must be calculated from that lowest price — so there was no real reduction at all. Mentioning the lowest price somewhere in the advert is not enough.
What the EU checks found
Between November and December 2025, the European Commission and national consumer authorities from 25 countries screened 314 online traders during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The results, published in March 2026:
- at least 30% of traders did not comply with the rules on price reductions;
- in another 30% of cases, the authorities needed more information to decide.
The check was partly carried out with the Commission's AI-powered investigation tool, EU eLab — so shops' price histories are increasingly easy for regulators to examine.
How to check a deal in two minutes
- Find the "was" price. It should be clearly shown next to the discount. If a shop shows only "-40%" with no reference price, be suspicious.
- Check the price history. Use a price-comparison or price-tracking site for your country, or look up the product on the same shop in the weeks before. If the price jumped in October, the "discount" may be fake.
- Compare the final price, not the percentage. A "-50%" in one shop can still be more expensive than a normal price elsewhere.
- Watch the extras. Delivery fees, "service fees" and pre-ticked add-ons can wipe out a discount — the total at checkout is what counts.
- Beware countdown timers. "Only 10 minutes left!" pressure is a classic trick; real deals rarely disappear in minutes.
Your rights if you buy online
- 14 days to change your mind. For most online purchases from EU shops, you can cancel within 14 days of receiving the goods, without giving a reason.
- Two-year legal guarantee. If a product is faulty, the seller must repair, replace or refund it — Black Friday purchases included.
- Report fake discounts. You can complain to your national consumer protection authority. If the shop is in another EU country, the European Consumer Centre in your country can help for free.
What to do now
- Make a list before 27 November of what you actually need, with today's prices — that's your personal "lowest price" check.
- Check every "was" price against the 30-day rule before you buy.
- Keep screenshots of the offer and the price if you suspect a fake discount.
- Use your 14-day right of withdrawal if a deal turns out to be worse than it looked.
- Travelling over the holidays? Read our guide to cabin bag fees in Europe before you book that "cheap" flight.