On 1 October this year, there were new rules which state that shops must show the lowest price an item has had in the last 30 days, when that item is on offer. Now the price comparison services show that there have never been so many goods whose prices have been set in October, according to E24. That worries the Consumer Council. – This year there is an extra high risk of consumers being tricked during Black Friday, says Nora Wennberg Gløersen, consumer lawyer at the Consumer Council. – If the prices are reduced again to “Black Friday”, in other words, you are not making a very good purchase, adds Wennberg Gløersen. Then you end up buying the item at the normal price, or with a discount that is far lower than the store claims, she explains. If the shops choose to do this, she believes it is apt to confuse people as to what is a good offer and what is not. Nora Wennberg Gløersen is a consumer lawyer at the Consumer Council. Photo: Forbrukerrådet / Private – This is a development the Consumer Council is following, she says. However, what the shops do is not illegal, but can be problematic for the consumer. Thinks it will become clearer Head of industry policy in Virke, Jarle Hammerstad, believes the change in the law that came into force on 1 October is a clarification, and which can reveal cheating. – Easier for consumers, easier for us to communicate what the rules are and for the consumer authorities to catch those who cheat, he believes. Head of industry policy in Virke, Jarle Hammerstad, believes it is Photo: Virke / Private He acknowledges that some may adapt to the rules, so that they raise prices earlier in the autumn and then lower them again. – But that can also now be revealed more easily. There are price comparisons, so you can find out as a consumer or get help to expose this type of fraud, says Hammerstad. The new laws that came into force came in connection with the implementation of the EU’s modernization directive in Norway. This means that certain consumer rules are the same in all EU countries. – As Black Friday and Black Week are very much about online shopping across national borders, it is a great advantage to have EU rules on this, says Hammerstad. Will assess after this year’s offer day Consumer lawyer Wennberg Gløersen says that one must now wait for the experiences from this year’s Black Friday. – It will show whether 30 days is too short a deadline, she says. Black Friday falls today on November 24. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB The Consumer Council receives complaints from consumers, and that way they can see whether the new rules are perceived as problematic for them. – If you see that many consumers are confused by high preliminary prices, the authorities should take this seriously, and consider whether companies must inform about preliminary prices longer than 30 days before the sale, says Nora Wennberg Gløersen. Tip: – Use the price comparison services – Our advice to consumers is that they use the price comparison services, and find out what the item they want usually costs, says Wennberg Gløersen. This means that you avoid buying something that is actually sold more expensively on offer days than at other times of the year. And even if you are tempted, the consumer lawyer believes that it is wise to think carefully. – There are many consumers who have tighter finances this winter. Then it is extra important to assess whether there is a need for the item being sold, and whether it is being sold at a good enough price, before taking the plunge, she says.
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The Consumer Council opposes the new law and says there is a high risk of being cheated on “Black Friday” – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
