HOW TO SPOT A TRUE BARGAIN
IT’S Black Friday tomorrow, and we are going to be tempted by cut-price deals and special offers galore. But before you dig into your purse, Richard Headland, editor-in-chief of Which? Magazine, has some tips …
DO YOUR RESEARCH
BE FOCUSED. Identify which products you want to look for and get a feel for prices. You can use Which? to look up product reviews and find out current and historical prices at a range of popular retailers, or websites such as CamelCamelCamel for Amazon price history. Compare what looks like a good Black Friday deal with other retailers. Don’t be swayed by a claimed ‘saving’.
WATCH THE HYPE
WE’RE easily taken in by bright signs proclaiming ‘Was €100, now €50’, but these may not be true. By law, a product has to have been on offer at the higher price for 28 days before a discount is offered, but this isn’t always the case. As long as there is a note explaining the offer, shops get away with it.
KEEP YOUR COOL
YOU are the target of aggressive marketing — so stay cool and calm. More than ever, it’s clear that it’s not just a day of discounts, so if you’re not convinced, then hold back.
BEWARE THE RRP
BE suspicious of RRP prices (recommended retail price). Officially, the manufacturer isn’t allowed to set the price of a product. In reality, there is collaboration, so that a manufacturer will sell at a discount at the same time as an independent retailer. Apple is a good example of this. Having said that, you can still have a look at the RRP on the manufacturer’s website, to see whether a retailer is being honest.
PRICE PROMISES
TRY to buy from retailers with a price promise — those who’ll refund the difference if you find a better deal on the same product elsewhere, or if the price drops later.
COUNT IN DELIVERY
LOOK at delivery costs in advance. In a Which? survey, four in ten people said paying for postage and packing was an irritating part of online shopping. Some retailers offer a buy online and pick up later service, which means you don’t have to go near the shops on the day itself.
PRODUCT REVIEWS
CHECK out reviews. In some cases, a discount on a product will be there for a good reason and shops might struggle to give them away.