Customer catches Home Depot red-handed with “fraudulent” sales prices

A shopper believes he has uncovered “fraudulent” holiday pricing at Home Depot.

A viral TikTok video posted by content creator @moeburqa shows the shopper pulling down signs that read “Holiday Prices” to reveal the original price underneath.

Both the original retail price of the item and the Christmas sale appear to cost exactly the same.

In an example from the video, a 10-piece screwdriver set is advertised for $19.97, and holiday pricing with a red sale banner indicates the same retail price.

The video, which has now been viewed more than 1.2 million times, has left some wondering whether Black Friday prices are still worth it.

“Even before inflation I went to a few Black Friday shopping (events) and the first thing I noticed was that nothing was on sale, the prices looked the same,” one viewer commented under the video.

“How come there is no false advertising?” another asked, while many commenters called Black Friday a “scam.”

“I found better deals a month before Black Friday,” argued another user.

A viral TikTok video posted by content creator @moeburqa shows the shopper pulling down signs that read “Holiday Prices” to reveal the original price underneath

Black Friday is considered the biggest shopping day of the year as retailers offer discounts to kick off the traditional pre-Christmas shopping period.

However, in recent years there have been increasing allegations that the “vacation” is no longer worth it because stores are manipulating prices to make the discounts appear greater than they actually are.

Despite these concerns, Americans spent about $11 billion on Black Friday this year, up more than 10 percent from last year, Reuters reported.

Makeup, Bluetooth speakers and espresso machines were among the top-selling items, according to an analysis by Adobe Inc.

Much of this year’s Black Friday shopping was done online, where it is easier for consumers to compare prices and search for competing offers.

“We had this strong concentration of spending that was actually happening online because that’s where you as a consumer have the most power and choice,” Michelle Meyer, chief economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, told Reuters.

A shopper believes he uncovered “fraudulent” holiday pricing at Home Depot (Image: A shopper at a Home Depot store in Chicago)

A viral TikTok appears to show no difference between Black Friday prices and the original

It’s not the first time stores have been accused of advertising items at a discounted price that turns out to be the same as the original price.

Target got into trouble last year after videos circulated online showing shoppers finding Black Friday sales signs on old signs – often with the same or lower prices than the Black Friday “deals.”

TikTok creator DeJay Downey posted a video in 2023 in which he revealed a television that was on sale for $649.99, but the sign underneath also said it was the same price.

“It’s the same thing, I don’t understand it,” she said in the video. “I’m confused.”

A Target spokesperson told the New York Post at the time that the TVs were “on sale ahead of Black Friday as part of our early Black Friday sales.”

“We continued to offer these items at the same discount during Black Friday, but adjusted signage to reflect the extended schedule,” the spokesperson said.

The company said customers saved between $20 and $80 “in both cases,” depending on which TV they purchased.

“These discounted prices compared to regular prices are clearly visible on both sale signs in the video,” they added.