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A crossed-out price that is exactly double

A “-50%” whose reference price is exactly twice the price asked: how to test it.

To verify before publication. Confirm on the current DGCCRF page (“Annonces de réduction de prix”) how the CJEU rule applies under French law and to sellers established outside France. The page could not be opened when this was written.

What you see

A crossed-out price that is exactly double the price asked: €46.90 crossed out to €93.80, or $79.95 crossed out to about $159.95. This round figure gives the impression of a half-price deal, whereas the starting price may never have been charged.

How to check

  • Check the page’s history on archive.org: was the crossed-out price ever displayed as the real price?
  • Come back to the page over several days and note the price each time.
  • Compare with marketplace listings.

What the rule says

In a ruling of 26 September 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union held that, when a price reduction is announced, the reference price must be the lowest price applied by the seller over a period of at least 30 days before the reduction. The rule aims to stop sellers from raising a price just before announcing a fake discount.

How this rule applies to a specific seller (the seller’s country, national transposition) is not always easy to establish. If in doubt, you can report it on SignalConso (the French consumer-protection reporting platform).

Takeaway

A crossed-out price is not illegal in itself. It can be checked: find out on what date and at what price it was actually charged.

Sources

In the same theme

The gap with the supplierThe same product under several brands

General information, not legal advice. A mistake? Write to us.