Marketing tricks “Cyber Monday, “Black Week”, etc.

Black Week and Cyber Monday are periods when retailers advertise massive discounts, but behind these offers are often manipulative practices designed to outsmart consumers.

New quality of life does not participate here. Nevertheless, I have to pay higher prices for shipping via DHL during this time (peak surcharge). If you choose DPD for shipping, you relieve me with your more conscious choice.

Even consumer advocates warn against being tempted by supposed bargains, as many offers are not really cheap and often generate psychological pressure through “dark patterns” such as countdown timers or indications of limited availability to promote impulse purchases. In addition, prices are often artificially inflated before being offered at a discount, giving the impression of a bargain, even though the actual price is often higher than before. These dealers probably want to earn more and not less 🤪.

Here an AI has described the manipulation methods:

• Manipulative pricing: Some retailers increase the original price before a promotion, only to offer a seemingly high discount afterwards, even though the final price is not lower than before. The manufacturer’s recommended retail price (RRP) can also be misleading, as it is often set higher than the actual market price.
• Psychological manipulation (dark patterns): Retailers use techniques such as countdown timers, “only a few items left” or “X other customers are looking at this offer” to put shoppers under pressure and force quick decisions.
• Fake shops and phishing: During Black Week and Cyber Monday, the number of fraudulent websites that pretend to be well-known brands and are designed to intercept sensitive data such as credit card information or login credentials increases sharply. These phishing pages are often difficult to detect and can be noticed by small spelling errors in the URL or lack of HTTPS encryption. – So it’s good if you’re a regular customer.
• Apparent discounts: Not all offers are worth it, as some products were already available at lower prices before the promotion. Some offers are even more expensive than before, as an analysis by SPIEGEL two years ago showed.
• Hidden costs and payment tricks: Some online retailers, especially on platforms like Amazon, only offer payment in advance, which poses a high risk of fraud as the customer may never receive the goods after payment.

With me there is only an honest advance payment, which many also use, because I pass on the fees that I save with PayPal to you as a customer. In addition, you can still pay in cash by letter . Because there are also people in this day and age who do not have an account.

Uninvolved traders have to pay

Retailers and customers who have seen through the marketing tricks and do not participate still have to pay through price increases, e.g. at DHL. Because a retailer, even if he does not participate in this mass hype, must also pay the surcharges for his customers, who order from him normally during this time. This, in turn, puts a financial burden on them, while large companies use tricks to implement even more and poach customers from small retailers.

All because of the manipulation, which unfortunately many do not yet see.

From November 1, 2025, DHL Parcel will charge a regular “peak surcharge” of 19 cents per parcel for business customers, which will be charged in the months of November and December. In addition, an additional “peak-in-peak surcharge” of 50 cents per shipment will be levied during “Black Week” and “Cyber Week” (November 24 to December 7, 2025), which increases the total burden for merchants during this time to up to 69 cents per parcel .

1. The regular peak surcharge is 19 cents per parcel and applies to the entire months of November and December 2025.
2. In the period from 24 November to 7 December 2025, an additional peak-in-peak surcharge of 50 cents per shipment will be charged.
3. These surcharges are intended to cover the increased costs during the Christmas season, in particular due to higher personnel costs and infrastructure investments.
4. The introduction of these surcharges is the subject of a legal review by the law firm LHR, which considers the charging practice to be inadmissible because it constitutes an abuse of the dominant position.

Tip: Not all shipping service providers do this. DPD, for example, does not do it. Therefore, choose wisely… and support what you want to support. Avoid what you don’t want to support.

The problem with the rip-off and the robbery of the “guarantor citizens”

I see the problem as much “higher”. With those who sell us the Co2 and climate change hoax and rip us off for it. What I mean by that, in case you haven’t noticed it yet, I have from here:

Die Klima-Lüge

Here is a little excursion that takes us somewhere else:

As early as 01.01.2026, we will be allowed to pay for this rip-off. Because currently the gas suppliers are raising prices with the following reason, which I list here:

What has changed?
Changes to price components of your energy price
On 1 January 2026, the gas storage levy (GSU) previously levied by the market area manager, Trading Hub Europe GmbH, will be abolished. Opinion: This was already a self-created problem).

This levy has so far served to cover the costs of filling and operating German gas storage facilities. With the abolition of the levy, this price component will be eliminated in the future
from your energy price. (At least something).

From 01.01.2026, the network operator will increase the consumption-based network usage fees levied for natural gas transmission. This leads to an increase in the price component of your energy price for network use.

In order to implement national and European climate protection targets , the price of natural gas will be subject to a CO2 price through the mandatory purchase of so-called emission certificates in accordance with the Fuel Emissions Trading Act (BEHG). (Opinion: There is the renewed rip-off, so that some who trade with our air can rip off more again. Such a levy is really “plucked out of thin air” in the truest sense of the word).

Until now, the cost per certificate was capped by the state. From 01.01.2026, pricing will take place for the first time by auctioning the certificates, whereby the auction corridor of up to EUR 65.00 per tonne and any subsequent purchase options of EUR 68.00 – 70.00 per tonne are significantly higher than the current price of EUR 55.00 per tonne. In total, this leads to an increase in the price component of your energy price for procurement and distribution costs (including CO2 price).

What does this mean for you?
Since the changes described above lead to cost increases that we cannot compensate for elsewhere, we will adjust your energy price in accordance with § 5 GTC. Opinion: What else should the gas supplier do? He plays the game of those who have “voted” the most. For me it is clear what it means and I summarize it in the word “rip-off and gutting”.

Back to the first topic

Related to the first topic, I recommend: Buy wisely, if possible from a trusted retailer and choose the right shipping service provider. And for the second: Think about it and get into action when you have a solution. Feel free to share them with me….

I wish you a good time ❤️ .

Best regards

Torben

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