Scam off it
SUNDAY MIRROR How to avoid being hustled in the Black Friday sales frenzy
SHOPPERS are poised to go on a Black Friday buying frenzy in just five days – and experts are already warning them to beware.
The annual extravaganza of bargainhunting sees massive queues forming at stores and scuffles over top items.
Spending hit £3.3billion last year and is expected to top £4billion this time as price cuts are promoted for longer.
But pundits warn shoppers risk being duped or ripped off by deals which may not be quite all they seem.
This week Consumer group Which? said buyers in 2015 could actually have THE hype can open our wallets faster than any other day of the year. But lots of discounts floating around don’t mean things are worth splashing out on, or even that they are cheaper than at other times.
Many price cuts are ones offered at other times, it’s just you didn’t see them then as you weren’t focused on looking when it wasn’t Black Friday.
Similarly, the huge slashing of prices on certain items is often to get rid of old stock or models and clear the shelves ready for 2017.
Always research the model numbers closely and compare prices online. Sometimes the discounts aren’t even as great as you’ll get on the same product after Christmas – the store just wants you to believe they are. got better value by shopping before or after the sales. And with more people buying online, there is a growing risk of falling victim to internet scams.
Black Friday, which began in America and falls the day after Thanksgiving, was brought to the UK by Amazon and Asda.
Amazon is putting the squeeze on traditional shops this year by extending its Black Friday sales event to 12 days.
Today we are teaming up with consumer rights website resolver.co.uk to guide shoppers through it all.
Founder and Sunday Mirror columnist James Walker said: “Consumers oftenn feel frustrated by queues, lack of stock k and discounts that don’t add up.” around and staff constantly topping up the shelves, you may find this issue arises. But you won’t be able to grab an even bigger bargain if it is an obvious mistake.
It’s the same with online prices that have been input wrongly. If the seller realises before they dispatch your goods, the order could be cancelled.
PURCHASES on Black Friday or Cyber Monday have the same refund terms – often better. Many stores may extend the returns period to January in case the recipient of your gift doesn’t like it. Always get a gift receipt to avoid revealing the cost.
Online, the Consumer Contracts apply so you can return goods up to 14 days after receiving them. Many sellers offer longer terms. Was................................£1,699 Black deal.....................£1,299 Vax Cordless Slim Vac Total Home Vacuum Cleaner TBTTV1T1
Was..........£289.99Was..........£289 Black deal..£111.99deal..£11