Black Friday is on Friday 14 November, 2023, with the sales celebration normally extending until Cyber Monday 27 November, but let’s get real – the entire month has become “Black November” – and it rolls right through December until Boxing Day, as retailers try their best to get consumers to open their hearts, minds and wallets to special deals – but is it all too good to be true?

If you want to see iTWire’s round-up of the best Black Friday deals, then take a look here for tons of brands and sites, but to best honest, Black Friday deals are everywhere.

The real question is – are you getting the BEST deal? And is the deal even real, or is it a scam?

Let’s start with consumer advocate organisation, CHOICE, which has its top tips for smart Black Friday shopping here, which I’ll reprint below, while the ACCC warns you need to make sure your Black Friday deal really is real – that info is reprinted below, too.

Let’s start with the advice from CHOICE, which notes 60% of people are interested in making a purchase during Black Friday sales.

The research also found:

– Just over a third (36%) of people thought Black Friday was worth waiting for because of the large discounts on offer. 
– However, only 26% of respondents said they thought Black Friday offered better deals than the Boxing Day or End of Financial Year sales.
– 32% said they were interested in buying clothes or shoes, 21% were interested in kitchen appliances, 16% were interested in phones and 15% were interested in TVs. 

“While there are certainly some good savings to be had in the Black Friday sales, it’s important to shop smart and take the time to ensure you’re getting the best deal possible,” says CHOICE Editorial Director, Mark Serrels. 

“When it comes to shopping the Black Friday sales, make sure you do your research into the items you’re considering purchasing, compare prices across stores, and don’t buy something you don’t need just because it’s on sale,” says Serrels.

Here are CHOICE’s top tips for nabbing a bargain during the Black Friday sales:

1. Compare prices across stores 

“If you’re planning to purchase a particular product, whether it’s a kettle or a washing machine, make sure you compare prices across multiple stores. The first place you look may offer a 10% discount, but there’s a good chance it could be reduced by 20% elsewhere,” says Serrels. 

2. Always ask for a discount 

“Never be afraid to ask for a discount, even if the item you’re purchasing is already on sale. The best way to do this is to head instore and ask them if it’s the best price they can do. You’ll find you can usually shave a bit off the purchase price, particularly with big items such as mattresses and whitegoods,” says Serrels. 

3. Do your research and don’t buy on brand name alone

“Our experts often find that cheaper products perform just as well, or sometimes even better, than more expensive items in our testing. Don’t buy on brand name alone – make sure you take the time to do some research and check reviews online before you settle on a purchase,” says Serrels. 

4. Don’t buy low value extended warranties 

“Retailers often offer extended warranties when you’re purchasing a large item like a TV or a fridge. However, these warranties often aren’t worth purchasing, as they usually provide the same or weaker protections than you already have under consumer law,” says Serrels. 

“If someone is trying to sell you an extended warranty, ask them what rights it will give you beyond the ones you already have under the consumer law, and think carefully before saying yes to the purchase,” says Serrels.

5. Be on the lookout for scam websites

“Fake websites impersonating popular retailers have become far more common and sophisticated than they used to be, so take care when shopping online. Keep an eye out for unusual URLs, big discounts, missing information or poor formatting and spelling, which may indicate the website is not legitimate,” says Serrels. 


More of CHOICE’s Black Friday sales shopping tips are here. 

Ok, so what is the warning from Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission? Here we go:

Consumers are being warned to watch out for scam websites impersonating high-profile Australian retailers when shopping online this Black Friday, Cyber Monday sale weekend (24-27 November 2023).

The National Anti-Scam Centre has detected a concerning increase in the number of reports of fake websites that look like genuine online retail stores belonging to many big-name, high street brands.

So far this year, there have been 2,760 reports of fake online stores, resulting in losses of more than half a million dollars. In total, online shopping scams cost Australians over $6.2 million, between 1 January and 30 September, 2023.

The consumer warning comes ahead of the Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales weekend, during which shoppers are tipped to spend a reported $6.36 billion.

“Scammers are opportunistic criminals who will try to take advantage of people doing their Christmas shopping online during the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday period,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“We have seen an alarming increase in reports of fake online shopping website scams, which use the latest technology to look like genuine, well-known Australian fashion and footwear labels.”

“A recent, disturbing development is that scammers are paying for their fake websites to appear at the top of your internet search. This means you can’t necessarily trust the first listing you see,” Ms Lowe said. 

“As an alternative, consumers may wish to familiarise themselves with the site addresses of their favourite brands and navigate there directly or scroll down the search results to ensure they find the real site.”

“Consumers should also be aware that scammers are using social media platforms to set up bogus stores and to advertise their fake websites,” Ms Lowe said.

The National Anti-Scam Centre has been working with retailers to disrupt scam activity. It has also published advice for businesses impacted by scammers impersonating them.

“As scammers have been primarily targeting fashion and shoe retail brands, we have focused our disruption efforts on this space, helping retailers remove a number of fake websites,” Ms Lowe said.

“We commend those retailers who have taken proactive steps to warn their customers about scam websites impersonating their brands.”

Scams Awareness Week 

The fake retail website scam is just one type of impersonation scam the National Anti-Scam Centre is warning about this Scams Awareness Week (27 November – 1 December 2023).

In 2023, impersonation scams accounted for more than 70% of the 234,672 reports to Scamwatch. There are many types of impersonation scams, spanning everything from text messages impersonating banks to job advertisements impersonating high-profile recruitment agencies and companies.

The top three most reported impersonation scams were road toll scams (19,141 reports), Australian Government impersonation scams (17,770 reports) and “Hi Mum” family impersonation scams (9,307 reports). The impersonation scams with the highest losses were imposter bond scams ($35 million lost), business email compromise scams ($14 million lost) and bank impersonation scams ($11 million lost).

“Impersonation scams have robbed Australians of $92 million this year,” Ms Lowe said.

“That’s why, during Scams Awareness Week, we are encouraging consumers to ask themselves if they really know who they are communicating with, whether it be online or  by text, phone or email. Could you be speaking with a scammer?”

“If you are shopping online, search for independent reviews to check if it’s real and never pay by direct bank deposit, money transfers or digital currencies such as Bitcoin. You should pay by PayPal or credit card. You may want to keep a second credit card with a low credit limit just for online shopping,” Ms Lowe said.

Further information and resources on Scams Awareness Week are available here.

How fake retail website scams work

  • Scammers use the latest technology to set up fake retail websites that look like genuine online retail stores. They may use sophisticated designs and layouts, possibly stolen logos, and even a ‘.com.au’ domain name and stolen Australian Business Number (ABN).
  • Many of these websites offer luxury items such as popular brands of clothing, jewellery and electronics at very low prices. Sometimes you will receive the item you paid for but they will be fake, other times you will receive nothing at all.
  • Scammers also set up fake online stores on social media platforms. They open the store for a short time, often selling fake branded clothing or jewellery. After making a number of sales, the stores disappear. They also use social media to advertise their fake website, so do not trust a site just because you have seen it advertised or shared on social media. The best way to detect a fake trader or social media online shopping scam is to search for independent reviews before purchasing.

Protect yourself

  • Watch out for websites or sellers advertising at very low prices, often lower than comparable to identical items on other websites. Slow down and consider whether a sale is too good to be true.
  • You can report sponsored ads to Google in ‘My Ad Centre’.  This can be accessed by clicking on the three stacked dots  to the right of the sponsored ad.
  • Always access websites via an independent search rather than through links in emails, SMS or social media.  Use apps from official app stores where available.
  • Learn how to shop online securely visit:  https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/staying-secure-online/shopping-and-banking-online/online-shopping Use secure devices, avoid public wifi and ensure that you set up multi factor authentication.
  • Never pay by direct bank deposit, money transfers or digital currencies such as Bitcoin as you won’t be able to get your money back. You should pay by PayPal or credit card. You may want to keep a second credit card with a low credit limit just for online shopping.

Top tips for avoiding scams 

STOP – Don’t feel pressured to act on a deal that is only offered for a short time. Scammers will try to make you feel like you have to act quickly. Don’t rush to act. Take your time to consider if the sale item is real.

THINK – Ask yourself could the website or sale item be fake? Scammers are impersonating trusted brands. Search for independent reviews or contact the retailer using contact information you source independently, so you can verify the deal is real.

PROTECT – Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you have lost money to a scammer. Seek help from IDCARE and report to Scamwatch.