Identifying deceptive tactics used in year-end clearance sales and discounts.

Fake discounts?

With Christmas and New Year's Day 2020 approaching, people's shopping needs are increasing. Capitalizing on this end-of-year shopping trend, many stores and supermarkets are displaying large promotional signs such as: "Shocking discounts," "Golden Hour shopping," "Gift giving," and "End-of-year clearance sales," especially clothing shops ranging from designer brands to affordable options.

To attract customers and stimulate shopping, numerous promotional programs and discounts are launched by stores at the end of the year. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Along Nguyen Van Cu, Herman, and Kim Dong streets, almost every clothing shop displays signs saying "Year-End Clearance Sale" with discounts ranging from 30-70%, and some even sell items at a flat price of 10,000 VND/product or offer buy one get one free...

However, many people enter the store and leave disappointed because the number of discounted products is very small, most products are outdated; have stitching defects, are even worn out and have limited sizes, and many desirable models are told they are out of stock when customers inquire about purchasing them, and are advised to choose other models that are not on sale.

During this period, electronics and home appliance supermarkets are also running major promotional programs, selling goods at no profit with discounts of up to 50%. However, in reality, many products advertised with "shocking" discounts are still very expensive compared to the general market price.

Consumers should be wary of deceptive promotional and discount tactics. (Image: IT)

Mr. Hoang Van Ba, a customer in Truong Thi ward, said: “During Black Friday, following an advertisement from an electronics supermarket in the area, I bought an air fryer. The listed price was 3,999,000 VND, discounted by 30% to 2,799,000 VND, and it came with a free glass plate. However, at another store, the same air fryer was only 2,500,000 VND. Even with the discount, it was still more expensive than usual.”

Some stores even engage in deceptive practices by introducing customers to items that are the same design and type but differ in specifications, lacking certain functions or features.

Specifically for electronic goods, stores usually list the old price, which was the price when the item was first released, while the promotional price is the current value of the item to label it as a discount.

This "trick" is also used when only customers with high-value invoices are allowed to purchase additional products with promotions or gifts…

Beware of scams.

To protect consumers, authorities need to strengthen market inspections and controls, as well as ensure the quality of goods. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Promotions are a way to stimulate consumer demand and boost economic growth, but currently, regulations regarding promotions are unclear and not strictly controlled. Therefore, to avoid falling into the trap of deceptive promotional and discount schemes, consumers need to be cautious when shopping.

According to many experienced shoppers, when buying discounted items, you should compare the price of the discounted product from one store with the price at another store or the market price to determine whether it's a genuine or fake promotion.

Besides price, consumers should also pay attention to the quality and warranty period of the product they intend to buy. This is because many supermarkets and stores do not implement "after-sales" policies such as warranties or returns for promotional items.

At the same time, customers need to choose reputable places to buy goods, avoiding buying counterfeit or low-quality products disguised as discounts or promotions.

According to a report from the One-Stop Service Department of the Department of Industry and Trade, to date, over 1,000 businesses have registered to announce promotional programs in November, extending to the 2019 New Year, with a total promotional value reaching billions of VND. Accordingly, the regulations stipulate that the prices and quality of goods are the responsibility of the businesses themselves. In the event of surprise inspections by authorities and the discovery of violations, or if there are complaints or grievances from consumers, the relevant agencies will investigate to clarify the matter.