‘Wayfair is a joke,’ shopper slams as retailer raised prices during ‘sale’ – vows to take business to Amazon and Walmart

WAYFAIR made headlines after proposing a unique twist on Christmas in July celebrations.

The online retailer is offering shoppers up to 80% off select household items during their Black Friday In July sale.

Wayfair kicked off their Black Friday in July sale on July 26, promising a four-day savings extravaganza including flash deals, limited-quantity doorbusters, and new discounts every 24 hours.

One shopper, however, was not feeling the holiday spirit after she claimed the retailer raised its prices ahead of the sale - vowing they would only shop at its competitors, Amazon and Walmart, from now on.

NO FAIR

"Wayfair is a joke," Pam Powell-Nicolosi shared on Facebook.

"Today’s big sale they are supposed to have. Everything went up in price," she continued.

This isn't the first time Wayfair has been accused of price-switching ahead of big sale days – raising "original" sticker prices on items while selling items at around the same "discounted" price.

The practice allows companies like Wayfair to offer smaller savings to customers while leading customers to believe they're saving more.

"I’ll stick with Amazon or Walmart," she added, noting two of Wayfair's largest competitors.

"Plus Amazon & Walmart does not give you a hassle with returns," Pam wrote.

While many Wayfair items are free to ship, not all of them offer free returns, making large purchases like furniture or artwork a gamble to even purchase.

"I see this company failing & will probably change name if [it] fails totally," she continued.

"Wayfair is worthless to me!" she exclaimed.

Some of Pam's friends and followers reached out to discuss her social media post, sharing their concerns about the company that describes itself as "the destination for all things home."

"Their stuff looks awesome on website and when you get it it is inferior, cheaply made, falls apart easily, not sturdy and sometimes missing parts," one user commented.

"I stick to Amazon because of no hassle, free returns," the user added.

Learn More About Wayfair

Wayfair is one of the world's largest home retailers, selling furniture, home decor, and more on its online site.

• Formerly known as CSN Stores, the company was founded in August 2002
• Founded by entrepreneurs and current co-chairmen Niraj Shah and Steve Conine
• Wayfair operates five e-commerce sites, including Wayfair, Joss & Main, AllModern, Birch Lane, and Perigold
• Company headquarters are located at 4 Copley Place, Boston, Massachusetts
• Wayfair opened its first large-format store in Wilmette, Illinois, on May 23, 2024
• The Wilmette store allows customers to browse and purchase furniture, home decor, appliances, housewares, and more items in a 150,000-square-foot, two-story setting
• Wayfair has over 11,000 employees worldwide
• The company boasted $12 billion in net revenue from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024
• Wayfair offers more than 30 million products from 20,000 suppliers
• Over 22.3 million people have purchased at least one item from Wayfair since 2002

"It's worthless to everyone else," another user commented.

"Bogus company," another user wrote.

One disgruntled customer shared her experience with a recent Wayfair purchase, lamenting the company's shipping delays.

"Expected delivery date has passed and it’s still Preparing to Ship…but they say I can’t cancel the order…WTH?!" Melissa Moore commented.

Moore explained she had ordered a Farmhouse Console Table that was still "Preparing for Shipping" on July 26 despite the estimated delivery date being July 23.

"Same thing happened with me," Pam replied.

"I could not cancel & they finally gave me a refund 3 months later as [it didn't] ship. Customer service is useless too!" she added.

HOLIDAY HUSTLE

Wayfair announced their Black Friday In July sale on July 18, sharing the news in a public press release.

"We are excited to bring a Black Friday sale to our customers this July, with our best deals since Way Day," said Jon Blotner, Wayfair's chief commercial officer.

"This sale provides our customers with tremendous value and selection to outfit their homes and businesses with just what they need to enjoy the rest of summer or prepare for back to school," he added.

From patio sets and grill essentials to home decor and furniture, no item seemed to be immune from the sale, which boasted savings of up to 80% off retail prices.

However, not all savings were as steep as they seemed, as Wayfair is known to change prices regularly.

In a 2015 Harvard Business School case study, Wayfair's vice president of pricing said prices "are adjusted daily," as reported by Vox.

“On any given day our model evaluates factors such as seasonal effects and competition, and adjusts prices automatically," they said.

Similarly, in the fall of 2022, Consumers’ Checkbook tracked 24 major retailers and found Wayfair among the top 10 companies “to have sales that were usually misleading."

"The trick is, don't believe that the price that they've crossed out, to discount off of, is a genuine prevailing price out there," said Kevin Brasler a consumer expert with the non-profit organization, to CBS News.

Retailers rarely, if ever charge the "crossed-out price," also referred to as an "anchor price," but use it to entice shoppers.

“They exist only so that retailers can make it seem like they're offering you some screaming deal off this inflated price that they never charged to begin with,” he added.

Shoppers are then often more likely to make a purchase, as they feel as though they're getting the most for their money.

Unless customers research Wayfair's prices ahead of time and compare the prices before, during, and after major sales like Way Day – a site-wide sale akin to Amazon's Prime Day – it can be impossible to tell how much of a "deal" or "steal" an item is.

WAYFAIR BEWARE

Wayfair sells thousands of items, and many of them can also be found at other online retailers.

Whether it's a lower-priced dupe, a similar product, or the same exact item, customers should cross-check prices with notable brands like Amazon or Walmart to see which company offers the best price.

Amazon Prime members and Walmart+ members may also find that even if a product's price is comparable to Wayfair, their members-only privileges, like free or discounted shipping and free, convenient returns, may end up costing them less.

Budget-conscious consumers should learn more about Walmart Plus, and keep an eye out for future membership savings.

Walmart+ memberships cost $98 annually, or $12.95 per month, plus tax.

Amazon Prime also has several benefits that more than make up for the monthly or annual fees, including delivery options Wayfair is scrambling to implement.

Amazon Prime membership prices are slightly higher, starting at $14.99 per month, or $139 per year.

Walmart+ and Amazon Prime offer similar services, but The U.S. Sun broke down pricing, perks, and other promotions unique to each subscription earlier this summer.

Wayfair has, however, started to expand its offerings, especially those available "in-store."

Shoppers who prefer to shop at brick-and-mortar stores instead of online can now view Wayfair items in its first showroom, a 150,000-square-foot facility in Wilmette, Illinois.