The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2026
Debenhams sold fake Black Friday discounts — and told the ASA its sellers were to blame
A bed at £349 since April was sold as -44% off £619. Debenhams said its marketplace sellers set prices; the ASA held the platform for the ads anyway.
Debenhams · DBZ Marketplace Online · 2026-05-20
What happened
In November 2025 the revived Debenhams brand, now an online marketplace operated by DBZ Marketplace Online, ran two Black Friday banner ads: a bed frame marked '-44%', £349.00 against a crossed-out £619.00, and a hair styling tool marked '-21%', £379.99 against £479.99. The ASA's automated ad monitoring flagged both.
Debenhams argued it was not the advertiser: it operated a marketplace of over 20,000 third-party sellers who set their own prices and contracted to comply with pricing law, and monitoring each one was unreasonable. The ASA rejected the defence — because Debenhams hosted the offers, it was responsible for ensuring they represented genuine savings.
The bed had been advertised at £349 since April 2025, over six months, with no evidence of significant sales at £619; the hair tool had been discounted repeatedly in the prior six months. On 20 May 2026 the ASA upheld the complaint under CAP rules 3.1, 3.7 and 3.17 — neither saving was genuine. The ads must not appear again, and Debenhams said it had reinforced its guidance to sellers.
Why it happened
- The marketplace defence — sellers set their own prices — was the claim under test, and the ASA ruled that hosting an offer makes the platform answer for whether the saving is real.
- The bed had been £349 since April 2025; with no sales history at £619, the 44% claim was arithmetic on a number chosen to make the price look better.
- Contract clauses and onboarding guidance push duty onto sellers but not liability — the ASA judged the ad, not the seller agreement.
The lesson
Marketplace platforms own the ads that carry their name: the ASA held Debenhams liable for third-party sellers' inflated discounts. 'Sellers set the prices' is not a defence.
Aftermath
Debenhams responded that while it does not set or control third-party sellers' pricing, it had taken steps to reinforce its guidance and requirements for sellers on advertising and pricing rules.
Sources
- ASA Ruling on DBZ Marketplace Online Ltd t/a Debenhams (A26-1326171)
- Glasgow Live: John Lewis apologises after being criticised in new ruling with Boots and Debenhams
- The Independent: The major retailers that misled shoppers with their 2025 Black Friday deals
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