Black Friday comes: How to get great deals and become a wise customer?
It's Black Friday - the day for shopping crazily. But this may not be the wisely shopping day for most people.
Don't assume that everything you claim to be an offer is as special as retailers want you to believe. Every year the consumer group Which? looks at the truth behind the advertised bargains, and it generally finds that only a small number of products were at their cheapest on Black Friday. For example, in 2019, only 1% of price-checked products were truly offered. Everything else was available at a low price in the 6 months before and after.
“Time and time again, we’ve found that Black Friday isn’t necessarily the best time to pick up a genuinely good discount,” says the organisation’s home products and services editor, Lisa Barber. However, she adds: “Those prepared to bide their time and do a bit of research should be able to cut through the hype and find a good deal.”
According to the Chartered Trading Standard Institute, sellers may raise prices before the sale period to make it appear to be offering the best price on the day.
We recommend using the Price Checker website to see the past costs of what you want to buy. One is CamelCamelCamel, which shows the highest, lowest, and average prices for items sold on Amazon. Another one that covers other online retailers is Pricespy. It not only displays past prices, but also compares current offers on various websites.
If you plan to visit a shop to seek out a specific item, do some checks before you go. Retailers are not obliged to tell you how much things have cost previously, so it is up to you to make your own comparison.
Retailers have many ways to make you spend in a hurry and make you regret it in your spare time; understanding what they are can help you avoid falling into the trap. A common technique is to create a sense of urgency. “This is when we will encounter lines like ‘10 more to go’ or ‘hurry up while supply lasts’ and can occur online or in physical stores,” says the marketing agency Sortlist. “Most consumers would unwittingly choose such items because they believe it is now or never.”
Another trick that makes you feel like you need to buy right away is a message telling you how many people are looking at the item you're browsing. This makes you think that it is highly prized and may be about to run out – remind yourself that many of them are unlikely to go on and buy it.
You may need new clothes or something you know you want to buy as a gift for others. Write a list of things you can stick to and do some research before the sale starts. For example, Sarah Pennells, a consumer finance expert at Royal London Financial Corporation, said that if you want a TV, make sure you know what features you want it to have. "Some stores use Black Friday as an opportunity to sell second-hand goods or unpopular inventory," she said. If you know exactly what you are looking for when you start shopping, you are less likely to fall into the moment and buy something that is not suitable.
As well as having a clear list, Pennells advises having – and keeping to – a budget “whether you’re paying now or later”. If you are using “buy now, pay later” at the checkout she says: “Don’t get too optimistic about what you might be able to afford to pay: Christmas is expensive, and something could go wrong – your boiler might break down in January, say, and you will have less money than you expect.”
“Don’t buy something because it’s cheap,” Pennells says. “If you don’t need it, don’t really want it or you can’t afford it, it’s just a waste of money.” If in doubt, she suggests that you think of things in terms of how long it will take you to pay for them: if the cost is equal to two days’ work rather than two hours’ work, that might make the decision about whether you need something a lot clearer.
Some retailers have cracked down on serial returners and introduced fees for returning items, so if you decide to return items after the buyer's remorse, you may get out of your pocket. Don't assume that you don't. The risk of making a mistake could be the price to cover the p & p of the return. For example, UNIQLO will charge £ 2.95 on return, but if you want to send something back to Caskidson, you will have to pay the renewal fee for the shipping method of your choice.
Most items are returnable and will be fully refunded. Retailers must have a 14-day cooling-off period in which they can cancel their purchase and receive a refund. However, there are some items that are not covered by this rule, such as perishable items and customized items. Therefore, think twice before ordering a monogrammed Christmas cake.
If you have ever signed up for a retailer’s mailing list, you may have received at least one email telling you about Black Friday promotions.
Few transactions that are inserted may be what you want, but cleverly written marketing campaigns and savings in subject lines can easily entice you to take a look, just in case you want to buy something.
Eliminate the temptation by deleting it and unsubscribing to the list.
Purchasing fraud (people never arrive and pay for items and services that probably didn't exist) is a growing industry at the moment, with some major banks increasing the number of victims by double digits. I am reporting that I did. According to Lloyds, the average lost total is £ 190.
Use a trusted retailer and visit the site directly, rather than from a one-sided link, to make sure the Black Friday bargain isn't an illusion. If the seller asks you to pay by bank transfer, think twice. Using a credit card, debit card, or PayPal provides additional protection in the event of a problem.
Of course the way to really be sure that you do not waste any money is to not spend any. As well as those who simply ignore all the hype, there are people in 50 countries who actively mark Buy Nothing Day each year. This year the UK campaign group has produced posters urging people to resist shopping. The aim of the campaign is to encourage people to think about the downsides of consumption and promote ethical and sustainable shopping choices. “The message has always been simple, ‘Shop Less, Live More,’” the UK website says. “Twenty-one years on, the message couldn’t be any simpler: we need to consume less! Recycling is good – reducing is better!”
Source: Internet
Is it the best deal already?
Don't assume that everything you claim to be an offer is as special as retailers want you to believe. Every year the consumer group Which? looks at the truth behind the advertised bargains, and it generally finds that only a small number of products were at their cheapest on Black Friday. For example, in 2019, only 1% of price-checked products were truly offered. Everything else was available at a low price in the 6 months before and after.
“Time and time again, we’ve found that Black Friday isn’t necessarily the best time to pick up a genuinely good discount,” says the organisation’s home products and services editor, Lisa Barber. However, she adds: “Those prepared to bide their time and do a bit of research should be able to cut through the hype and find a good deal.”
According to the Chartered Trading Standard Institute, sellers may raise prices before the sale period to make it appear to be offering the best price on the day.
We recommend using the Price Checker website to see the past costs of what you want to buy. One is CamelCamelCamel, which shows the highest, lowest, and average prices for items sold on Amazon. Another one that covers other online retailers is Pricespy. It not only displays past prices, but also compares current offers on various websites.
If you plan to visit a shop to seek out a specific item, do some checks before you go. Retailers are not obliged to tell you how much things have cost previously, so it is up to you to make your own comparison.
Watch out! It’s the marketing trap
Retailers have many ways to make you spend in a hurry and make you regret it in your spare time; understanding what they are can help you avoid falling into the trap. A common technique is to create a sense of urgency. “This is when we will encounter lines like ‘10 more to go’ or ‘hurry up while supply lasts’ and can occur online or in physical stores,” says the marketing agency Sortlist. “Most consumers would unwittingly choose such items because they believe it is now or never.”
Source: Internet
Another trick that makes you feel like you need to buy right away is a message telling you how many people are looking at the item you're browsing. This makes you think that it is highly prized and may be about to run out – remind yourself that many of them are unlikely to go on and buy it.
Prepare a list to avoid overbuying
You may need new clothes or something you know you want to buy as a gift for others. Write a list of things you can stick to and do some research before the sale starts. For example, Sarah Pennells, a consumer finance expert at Royal London Financial Corporation, said that if you want a TV, make sure you know what features you want it to have. "Some stores use Black Friday as an opportunity to sell second-hand goods or unpopular inventory," she said. If you know exactly what you are looking for when you start shopping, you are less likely to fall into the moment and buy something that is not suitable.
As well as having a clear list, Pennells advises having – and keeping to – a budget “whether you’re paying now or later”. If you are using “buy now, pay later” at the checkout she says: “Don’t get too optimistic about what you might be able to afford to pay: Christmas is expensive, and something could go wrong – your boiler might break down in January, say, and you will have less money than you expect.”
Do you really need that item?
“Don’t buy something because it’s cheap,” Pennells says. “If you don’t need it, don’t really want it or you can’t afford it, it’s just a waste of money.” If in doubt, she suggests that you think of things in terms of how long it will take you to pay for them: if the cost is equal to two days’ work rather than two hours’ work, that might make the decision about whether you need something a lot clearer.
Read the small print about returns
Some retailers have cracked down on serial returners and introduced fees for returning items, so if you decide to return items after the buyer's remorse, you may get out of your pocket. Don't assume that you don't. The risk of making a mistake could be the price to cover the p & p of the return. For example, UNIQLO will charge £ 2.95 on return, but if you want to send something back to Caskidson, you will have to pay the renewal fee for the shipping method of your choice.
Most items are returnable and will be fully refunded. Retailers must have a 14-day cooling-off period in which they can cancel their purchase and receive a refund. However, there are some items that are not covered by this rule, such as perishable items and customized items. Therefore, think twice before ordering a monogrammed Christmas cake.
Source: Internet
Stay away from the marketing emails
If you have ever signed up for a retailer’s mailing list, you may have received at least one email telling you about Black Friday promotions.
Few transactions that are inserted may be what you want, but cleverly written marketing campaigns and savings in subject lines can easily entice you to take a look, just in case you want to buy something.
Eliminate the temptation by deleting it and unsubscribing to the list.
Be wise, careful of scams
Purchasing fraud (people never arrive and pay for items and services that probably didn't exist) is a growing industry at the moment, with some major banks increasing the number of victims by double digits. I am reporting that I did. According to Lloyds, the average lost total is £ 190.
Use a trusted retailer and visit the site directly, rather than from a one-sided link, to make sure the Black Friday bargain isn't an illusion. If the seller asks you to pay by bank transfer, think twice. Using a credit card, debit card, or PayPal provides additional protection in the event of a problem.
The simplest but hardest way: Don’t buy!!!
Of course the way to really be sure that you do not waste any money is to not spend any. As well as those who simply ignore all the hype, there are people in 50 countries who actively mark Buy Nothing Day each year. This year the UK campaign group has produced posters urging people to resist shopping. The aim of the campaign is to encourage people to think about the downsides of consumption and promote ethical and sustainable shopping choices. “The message has always been simple, ‘Shop Less, Live More,’” the UK website says. “Twenty-one years on, the message couldn’t be any simpler: we need to consume less! Recycling is good – reducing is better!”
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