Shoppers don’t trust Black Friday deals, here’s how they check them…

Most consumers suspect retailers of using gimmicks and tricks with their Black Friday prices and deploy a mix of methods to keep them honest.

More than eight-in-10 (85%) U.S. adult consumers surveyed by Omni Calculator suspect retailers of playing games with Black Friday prices. This includes 59% who believe retailers raise prices in the weeks before the sale, then cut them back to normal, 54% who think stores advertise a "was" price that the item never really sold at and 53% who suspect fake low-stock claims.

[READ MORE: Consumers to seek deals to stay on budget for holidays]

Survey results show that suspicion extends to the deals themselves. When asked how many of every 10 advertised deals offer a genuine saving, the most common answer was three or four (30%). In total, 58% of respondents think no more than four in 10 are real savings, while only fewer than one in 10 believe eight or more are legitimate. 

To tell real deals from fake ones, shoppers use methods including:

• Compare the same item across several retailers: 59%.
• Look up the item's price history: 52% (including 59% of Gen Z and millennials and 39% of boomers).
• Note the price themselves beforehand: 41%.
• Read reviews or forums to see what others paid: 30%.
• Ask an AI chatbot: 23% (including 28% of men and 18% of women).
• Use a price-tracking browser extension: 15% (including 22% of Gen Z and 10% of boomers).
• Take the advertised discount at face value: 7%.