Most shoppers will have seen these ‘too good to be true’ claims online
Shoppers hunting for bargains online are being warned to double-check before purchasing, as brands may make offers appear more attractive than they really are, according to an expert. The alert follows an investigation revealing that retailers’ massive price cuts often lack proof to support these huge savings.
Lisa Webb, a lawyer at consumer group Which?, suggests that online shoppers could be misled into believing they have secured an incredible deal. The warning comes after the consumer group investigated the RRP (recommended retail price) of products supposedly slashed in value.
The RRP is the price a manufacturer or brand recommends a product should sell for in shops. Its primary function is to ensure consistent pricing across various retailers, although shops are typically free to set their own prices above or below this figure.
The Which? investigation found that shoppers are seeing reductions on the genuine price, but Lisa argues the issue is that “the discount is not nearly as good as [some retailers are] claiming”. She suggests shoppers are being “drawn in” by the prospect of significant savings that may not be quite what they appear, reports the Express.
Speaking during a recent BBC Morning Live segment, she said: “We had a look at a bunch of different online marketplaces and we found sellers on there who were really inflating the RRP so that the price they were actually selling it at looked like a real steal.”
How to check if an RRP discount is a good deal
Lisa recommended that online shoppers look into a product’s RRP if a discount appears too good to be true. Simply take matters into your own hands and do a reverse image search on Google to locate all versions of the product picture across the web, which often leads to other websites selling the same item.
To do this on a mobile phone, press and hold the image of the item you wish to purchase, and an option should appear. On desktop computers or laptops, right-clicking should bring up an option such as ‘search with Google Lens’.
In some cases, it will prove where the product is being sold for the RRP. Shoppers might end up finding themselves a better bargain from another brand if they also do this, making sure the setting is switched to ‘exact matches’.
What does the law say about misleading RRPs?
In the UK, laws are in place to stop retailers from using inflated RRP prices to fabricate fake discounts. Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008) and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (2024), any misleading price comparison is a criminal offence that can result in massive fines – up to 10% of a company’s turnover.
The legislation and guidance are enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Trading Standards, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
