Beware of Black Friday 'bargains': Half of prices are higher than in the months before AND after the so-called sales bonanza  

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Half of Black Friday deals are not what they seem – with some products even going up in price, according to a study.

Consumer group Which? found shoppers may be duped by the growing frenzy around the November sales when they could get better deals before or afterwards.

Spending in Black Friday sales reached £3.3billion last year, and it is expected to top £6.7billion this year as retailers’ promotions go on for longer.

Researchers at Which? tracked deals for 20 gadgets and home appliances for three months before and two months after Black Friday last year. They found almost half of the products ‘on offer’ were actually cheaper before or after Black Friday

Black Friday advertisements and banners lined the store windows in London's Oxford Street last year

Which? followed last year’s Black Friday bargain claims and found some prices fell further soon afterwards, while other ‘deals’ made products more expensive than they had been in earlier months.

Black Friday, which began in the US, falls the day after Thanksgiving and is November 25 this year. It was brought to the UK by Amazon and Asda – which is owned by US firm Walmart – but retailers across the high street and online now take part, with many promoting price cuts ahead of the day itself.

Researchers at Which? tracked deals for 20 gadgets and home appliances on Amazon, AO.com, Argos, Currys and John Lewis for three months before and two months after Black Friday last year.

They found 49 per cent of the products ‘on offer’ were actually cheaper before or after Black Friday.

Fewer than one in ten Black Friday discounts were cheaper than any other day.

Currys was selling an LG Soundbar speaker for £239 on Black Friday, but it could have been bought for £230 throughout September.

And it sold a Samsung washing machine for £1,149 with a claimed saving of £450. However, the price fell to £1,079 three days later.

On Black Friday AO.com was selling a Vax vacuum cleaner for £99 when it had been £69 the day before.

And Which? uncovered numerous examples of offers by AO.com and Currys that appeared to inflate the original price to make the claimed saving look bigger.

Preparations are underway at the Amazon fulfillment centre in Peterborough, as the website gets ready  for the hectic Christmas shopping period that starts on Black Friday 

AO sold a Samsung fridge freezer at £749 with a claimed saving of £250.

In fact the appliance had been on sale for £849 for most of the previous three months, so the real saving was £100.

And Currys was selling a Samsung TV for £748 – a claimed saving of £101. The real saving was just £1 as it had been for sale at £749 for a month before Black Friday. The same TV had been selling for a lower £699 in August.

Pete Moorey, of Which?, said: ‘If you’re thinking about starting your Christmas shopping around Black Friday, do your research as some “deals” may not be all they’re cracked up to be.’

Black Friday was brought to the UK by Amazon and Asda but retailers across the high street and online now take part, with many promoting price cuts ahead of the day itself

Currys said that it fundamentally disagreed with the approach Which? had used in its price research.

AO.com said: ‘We work hard to ensure that any promotions we make are clear and take our obligations to consumers very seriously.’

Amazon said: ‘Six of the eight products that Which? reviewed on Amazon.co.uk last year had our lowest price on Black Friday and, in response to customer feedback, we spread out great deals over several days.’

Argos said it had not intended to mislead, and the firm worked hard to ensure its offers were fully compliant with regulations.

John Lewis said: ‘Our never knowingly undersold commitment means that we will match our competitors’ deals and offers for as long as they run.’