How to Check a 'Was' Price on a Bed (UK Rules)

What is a ‘was’ price?

A “was” price is the higher price a seller says it charged before a sale. “Was £799, now £499” is a was price. Trading standards call it a reference price. A reference price is the price a deal is compared against.

A was price is only fair if the seller really charged it, recently, in the same shop, for at least as long as the sale runs. The guidance that explains this comes from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), on its Business Companion website. It is guidance for traders, not law. Only the courts can decide what the law means.

This page is general information. It is not legal advice.

When is a ‘was’ price fair?

The CTSI guidance lists signs that a was price is more likely, or less likely, to be fair. In plain English:

• It was the last price. The higher price should be the price the bed sold at just before the cut. Other prices in between make the comparison weaker.
• It was recent. A price charged a couple of months ago is more likely to be fair than one charged many months ago.
• It ran long enough. The sale should not run for much longer than the higher price did.
• It was charged in the same shop. A price from a different store or channel is less likely to be a fair comparison.
• People really paid it. The guidance asks whether real sales were made at the higher price.

The guidance gives no fixed number of days. Its test is simple: would an average shopper think the comparison is fair?

What about ‘was, then, now’ prices?

Some sales cut the price in steps: “Was £900, then £700, now £600”. The guidance says a series of price claims is less likely to be fair if a later claim does not give a bigger discount than the one before. Each step should be a real, further reduction.

What does ‘up to 50% off’ have to mean?

“Up to” tells you the biggest discount, not the usual one. CTSI guidance says a seller should only quote a maximum reduction if it applies to a significant proportion of the range on offer. The claim should be clear and prominent.

So check the exact bed and size you want. Compare like with like: a Double is 135 × 190 cm and a King is 150 × 200 cm. A big discount on one size does not mean every size is cut.

Is an RRP or ‘compared with’ price a real saving?

An RRP is a recommended retail price. It is a price a maker suggests, not one the shop charged. The guidance says the seller must make clear that the higher price is an RRP. It also says an RRP must be a genuine selling price. It must not be made up to create the look of a discount.

“Cheaper than” claims against other shops must be objective. The seller should keep records of the rival’s price, and stop the claim if that price changes.

Are all the fees in the price?

New rules from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (the DMCC Act) apply from 6 April 2025. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) explains them in its guidance, CMA207.

The CMA says drip pricing is banned. Drip pricing means showing a low headline price, then adding compulsory charges as you go through checkout. The total price must include fees, taxes and charges that every customer has to pay. If delivery charges may apply, the seller must show them separately or tell you they may be payable.

For beds, check:

• Is delivery included, and is it to your room or only to the door?
• Is assembly or removal of an old bed extra?
• Is the headboard or mattress included in the picture but not the price?

Is the countdown timer real?

Under the DMCC Act, falsely stating that a product is only available for a limited time is a banned practice, when it is used to push you into an immediate decision. The CMA gives the example of a trader who falsely says an offer ends when a countdown clock runs out.

A true deadline is allowed. CTSI guidance says a real end date should be clear and easy to see. It also says sellers should not change a published end date unless something happened that could not reasonably have been foreseen.

Pressure messages can mislead even when they are true. The CMA gives the example of a “sold 10 in the last 5 minutes” pop-up when stock is high and there is no need to hurry.

Is the offer only for some people?

Some headline discounts only apply to certain shoppers, or only with a code, a bundle or a minimum spend. The CMA says information can mislead even when it is true, if it is presented in a misleading way. A small-print footnote does not always fix a misleading headline.

Read the conditions before you rely on the headline number.

Can you trust the reviews?

The DMCC Act bans fake consumer reviews. It is banned to write, or pay someone to write, a fake review. It is also banned to hide that a review was paid for or rewarded, or to present reviews in a misleading way. Sellers who publish reviews must take reasonable steps to stop and remove fake ones.

BedGuide does not publish star ratings or reviews of its own.

What can you do if a price looks wrong?

1. Ask the seller when and where the higher price was charged.
2. Take screenshots of the price, the date and the terms.
3. Remember that sale items have the same refund rights as full-price items. Read UK bed refund and return rights.
4. In England, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Advisers can pass information to Trading Standards. Their page links to help for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A quick checklist before you buy

• Was the higher price the last price, charged recently, in this shop?
• Did the sale run longer than the higher price did?
• Does the “up to” discount apply to your exact bed and size?
• Is an RRP clearly labelled as an RRP?
• Is the total price, including delivery, shown before checkout?
• Is any deadline real and clearly dated?
• Are you rushing because of a timer?

Then plan the buy calmly with when to buy a bed: UK sale calendar, before you buy a mattress and budget vs premium mattresses.