The cost of living crisis means we’re all feeling the squeeze right now and looking for ways to save money.
But new research released this week by the Competition and Markets Authority revealed that almost a quarter (24%) of shoppers say they've fallen victim to sneaky online sales tactics.
This can include pressure selling, hidden charges, subscription traps and fake reviews, all of which are designed to push people into parting with their cash.
The CMA is now urging consumers to report online rip-offs through a new online form.
To help you suss out a deal from a dud, shopping experts at comparison site PriceSpy have rounded up five tactics shops use to get you to spend more.
Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, UK country manager at PriceSpy, said: “Retailers constantly run promotions and sales to encourage shoppers to spend with them.
“Sometimes these are great deals, but often these offers aren’t all that they seem.”
1. Rollercoaster pricing
This is when the price of a product is gradually increased, before suddenly being dropped, and the retailer advertises the discount based on the highest price.
We’ll use a product being slashed from £50 to £25 in one day as an example. The shop would advertise this as 50% off.
However, if the same item only cost £30 just 30 days ago, the discount you’re getting compared to this original price is actually only 16%.
Rollercoaster pricing tends to happen a lot around big shopping periods like Black Friday and Christmas.
Liisa said: “Awareness is the first step towards not falling for this tactic.
“If you have an item on your wishlist, check out its price history to see what its average price is and be mindful of sudden price increases.”
2. Yo-yo pricing
This is when prices go up and down regularly - sometimes, every few days or weeks.
Prices are lowered for a short period of time in order to boost sales, before they’re suddenly increased again.
Shops will typically brand these as “flash sales” or “one day only” offers - but keep an eye out, as it could be likely that this won’t be the last time you’ll see this deal.
Liisa said: “With yo-yo pricing, an attractively discounted price is rarely the last opportunity to bag a bargain. Chances are, you’ll see this same price again.
“Therefore, set up price alerts and be notified when a product drops in price to a level that you’re happy to pay.”
3. Gender-based pricing
Stores often advertise different prices for "male" and "female" versions of essentially the same product.
PriceSpy says men are typically charged more for outdoor gear and women face higher prices for beauty items.
Liisa said: “To help save money, given products are often so similar, despite how they’re marketed or branded, shoppers may benefit from being open-minded about buying products marketed to a different gender.
“Compare men’s, women’s and also unisex versions to see how different they really are, and then which is cheapest.”
4. Bundle pricing
This is when an item is being offered "for free" when you purchase a certain product.
However, the price of the main product is sometimes hiked to make up for the additional "freebie" - basically cancelling out the money you think you're saving.
Liisa said: “Don't get blindsided by seemingly attractive bundle pricing. Do you need, or even want, the additional product?
“If not, it's not worth buying this bundle. Or if, in fact, you do want this additional product, then it may be a great deal for you.”
5. Pressure pricing
Have you ever seen phrases such as: "only one remaining!", "last chance!" or "get it before it’s gone!" while you're shopping?
This is known as pressure pricing and can happen in both physical stores and online to try and spark fear in shoppers.
Other tactics include countdown clocks which - often falsely - imply that a sale is about to expire.
Liisa said: “Firstly, don’t panic! Look at the availability of the item in other stores (you can do this on a product’s page on PriceSpy) to understand if there’s any real urgency to buy it now.
”Whilst one retailer may be low on stock, others may have plenty.”
