Home Depot is under scrutiny, and for good reason. During Black Friday, a TikTok video from @moeburqa went viral and brought the hardware retailer into the public eye. The video showed that behind the holiday price tag was another tag with the original prices…that showed the exact same price with no discounts at all.

The illusion of reduced prices

The clip shows that the regular price and the supposed Christmas sale price are identical. For example, a 10-piece screwdriver set is marked as $19.97, and the holiday sale banner with a red sign also lists it as $19.97.

The clip, which racked up over 1.2 million views, sparked debate about whether Black Friday sales are even worth it anymore. “Even before inflation, I noticed when shopping on Black Friday that prices don’t change. Nothing is really on offer,” one viewer remarked.

“How is this not false advertising?” another questioned, while many others called Black Friday a “scam.” Another user assured online that he found better deals in October than in the weeks before Black Friday and Cyber ​​​​Monday.

Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest shopping day of the year, with retailers offering discounts to kick off the holiday shopping season before Christmas. But there is growing suspicion among shoppers that the event has lost value as stores allegedly inflate prices in advance to make the discounts appear bigger than they actually are.

Black Friday: nowadays an online event

Despite these concerns, American shoppers spent about $11 billion on Black Friday this year, 10% more than in 2024. Top-selling items included makeup, Bluetooth speakers and espresso machines, based on data from Adobe Inc.

A significant portion of this year’s Black Friday shopping occurred online, where shoppers could easily compare prices and search for better deals.

“There has been a lot of focus this year on online spending because it offers consumers the most power and options,” Michelle Meyer, chief economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, told the press.

Other retailers have been caught red-handed with fake discounts

This is not the first time that stores have been accused of offering discounts that are proven to be no different from original prices.

Last year, Target came under fire after videos surfaced online showing Black Friday sale signs on top of older signs – often with the same or even lower prices than the so-called deals.

TikTok user DeJay Downey shared a video in 2023 highlighting a TV priced at $649.99 as part of a Black Friday sale, only to have the sign underneath reveal the same price.

“I don’t understand – it’s the same price,” she said in the video, expressing her confusion. At the time, a Target spokesperson said the TVs had been included in early Black Friday deals before the event and were simply offered at the same discount on Black Friday, with updated signage reflecting the extended sales period.

However, many viewers did not believe the explanation. The retailer claimed that shoppers saved between $20 and $80 “in both cases,” depending on which TV they chose. They also stated that the discounted prices compared to regular prices were “clearly visible” on both signs shown in the video.

Fake Black Friday sales: an old practice

Many users reported personal experiences that illustrate the long-standing practice of increasing prices before sales to make discounts appear more attractive. A former Wisconsin retail worker described being told to raise prices just hours before posting “sale” signs that reflected original prices, calling Black Friday a “scam.”

Some stories went back even further, showing that these tactics are not new. Another commenter recalled her grandmother’s observation from the 1980s, noting that department stores like Woodward & Lothrop used similar tactics that some grocery stores now mimic to offset inflation. Such anecdotes show that while retailers may offer eye-catching offers, customers should always shop around and be informed of actual prices.