Black Friday is just days away but consumers are being warned to be on the lookout for retail tricks.

For example, it’s now been revealed that just one in seven Black Friday deals are actual discounts.

Consumer groups followed the discounted sale items at major retailers including Amazon. They watched their prices every day, six months before and after the sale.

Of the deals, 98% of them were actually cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, and none were cheaper on Black Friday alone.

Even taking Cyber Monday into account, consumer groups found that 87% of deals had a lower or equal price at another time of the year.

Amazon has been called out as the worst retailer overall for dubious discounts.

Consumers are being advised that finding a real bargain can be like finding a needle in a haystack.