Washington Consumers Checkbook: ” American consumers are bombarded with seemingly great deals when shopping in-store and online. Displays and banners scream for your attention: “SALE! 60% OFF!” “Regular price: $299, our price: $199.” “This weekend only: Save an extra 40%!” “Prime Day!” “Black Friday!” “[Insert your favorite holiday] Special Savings!” It’s all nonsense. Most retailers are lying to you. Consumers’ Checkbook’s researchers spent six months tracking prices at 25 major retailers. We found that the markdowns advertised by most stores aren’t special prices or savings; instead, nearly all retailers now use fake sales to mislead their customers. And this shady selling practice keeps getting worse. Websites and in-store signage for most retailers often show crossed-out “regular” or “list” prices, with lower prices featured nearby. But the higher “regular” prices are rarely, if ever, what customers actually pay. Our study found that at most stores, the products we tracked were offered at supposed discounts more than half of the time. And, at many retailers, the fake sales never end: For 12 of the 25 companies, our shoppers found more than half the items we tracked were offered at false discounts every week or almost every week we checked. By constantly offering items at sale prices—and rarely if ever offering them at regular prices—retailers are engaging in deceptive advertising.

Checkbook found these retailers’ sales were Usually misleading:

Checkbook found these retailer’ sales were Often misleading:

Checkbook found these retailers’ sales were Sometimes misleading:

Checkbook found that only three of the 25 retailers offered Legitimate sales: