The Spanish government fined MediaMarkt, Carrefour, PC Componentes, Notino Italia, Gestaweb 2020, and two other companies (whose names have not been released) for offering false discounts during Black Friday 2023. The ministry sanctioned the seven companies with a total of €350,000 for price gouging. According to a statement released by the consumer protection agency Consum, the fines, listed from highest to lowest, were: Notino Italia (€110,000), Gestaweb 2020 (€100,000), MediaMarkt (€25,000), and Carrefour (€21,500). The companies were ordered to withdraw the false discounts for being misleading and unfair to consumers and are prohibited from repeating these practices.

It's here again. Like every year, Black Friday has arrived, and with it, the deals that can drive people to irrational impulses. Did you know that shopping generates a feeling of reward for the mind? It's all about chemistry: dopamine and the feeling of putting yourself at the center of attention take center stage. This effect is amplified during this time of year.

The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption, and the 2030 Agenda has sanctioned seven online retail companies for false discounts during Black Friday 2023. Specifically, the ministry found that the companies, whose names have not been revealed, raised the prices of several products days before the Black Friday sales campaign, as Consum explained this Friday in a press release.

"There is a bit of scaremongering", says Àlex Goñi, president of the trade sector at Pimec, the Catalan SME association. Traders will start their most intensive stretch of the year, going from Black Friday to Christmas, amongst doubts and rumours about the sharp rise in the price of products and stockouts.