According to the investigation, portals often violated EU consumer law.Image: keystone
According to the European Commission, almost one in three online retailers examined incorrectly referred to discounts on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Consumer protection authorities discovered this on the campaign days at the end of November and the beginning of December 2025.
Mar 26, 2026, 4:42 p.mMar 26, 2026, 4:42 p.m
Consumer advocates from 23 EU countries as well as Iceland and Norway examined the sales tactics of selected portals in their respective countries – a total of 314 online retailers.
According to the investigation, portals often violated EU consumer law. 30 percent of retailers incorrectly referred to their discounts. According to EU law, the reference price for a discount must be the lowest price of the past 30 days.
Different tactics
Authorities also identified some sales tactics. More than half of retailers (6 out of 10) who used price comparisons (34 percent) did not clearly explain the price reference. Almost a fifth (18 percent) used pressure selling techniques such as a countdown timer, with more than half of these cases being misleading. Portals (36 percent) also tried to add optional items to shopping carts – in some of these cases without asking for consent (4 out of 10).
Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer a great opportunity for companies and consumers, said the responsible Vice President of the EU Commission, Henna Virkkunen. “However, a good bargain is no excuse to cheat the rules. Consumers expect fair treatment whether they shop online or offline.”
Such EU-wide investigations, so-called sweeps, are coordinated by the European Commission and simultaneously carried out by the relevant national authorities. The responsible consumer protection authorities can now take measures against the affected companies. (sda/awp/dpa)