Offer won’t end soon! How those kitchen deals can mislead you

BIG brand kitchen and bathroom retailers are misleading customers with false ‘limited time’ offers, it has been claimed.

Firms are using techniques such as ‘hurry deals’ to trick homeowners into rushing to make a purchase – before slashing prices further in successive deals, or effectively holding year-round sales.

And one retailer was even found to have doubled the price of its kitchens prior to a sale to make the saving appear greater.

The findings by consumer group Which?, which monitored promotions from March 2018 to March 2019, have been passed on to the Trading Standards amid concerns brands could be in breach of consumer protection regulations. The researchers found Wren Kitchens, Wickes, Victoria Plum and Bathstore each ran ‘offers’ on at least 361 days in the year.

And it found, for example, Victoria Plum’s January sale – offering up to 70 per cent off – did not end on the advertised date, but continued in conjuction with a new deal of an extra 20 per cent off sale prices.

Natalie Hitchins, of Which?, said: ‘It’s unacceptable for retailers to be using potentially misleading tricks to make a sale.’

The brands all insist they operate within the law and advertising rules.