Why Black Friday is not such a big deal
Bargains aren’t what they seem WHICH? DEALS YOU SHOULD TRY TO AVOID...
PRICE WATCH 60ins LG television BLACK Friday shoppers have been warned to be on their guard after nine out 10 “deals” in last year’s sale were found to be cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.
Which? tracked the prices of 94 popular products, including TVs, cameras and fitness trackers, from six months before until six months afterwards Black Friday, 2017.
Almost 90% were cheaper at other times of the year.
The LG 60UJ630V, a 60ins, 4K television, was advertised at £799 by Amazon on Black Friday, but was £50 cheaper on at least 62 occasions afterwards. The price fell a further £150 for at least four days at the end of December and beginning of January.
DISCOUNTS
Which? is now urging shoppers not to feel pressured into making a purchase on Friday.
Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services, said: “The results of our investigation will disappoint many who are expecting nothing but bargains this Black Friday.
“While retailers are bombarding us with promises of great discounts and time-limited sales, it’s clear that not all deals are as good as they might appear.
“To bag a bargain, do your research and don’t get carried away by the hype.”
Amazon said: “We offer many thousands of incredible deals around Black Friday representing millions of pounds of savings for our customers across a vast selection of products.”
Still confused?
We teamed up with Which? to bring you the best tips for Black Friday shopping and tell you how to stay safe doing the sales online. Coffee machines Bosch Tassimo Vivy TAS1402G
“We often see this Bosch model available for a discounted price, which means that any Black Friday special offers may not be nearly as special as they seem. At the start of November 2018, it could be found online for around £40, way below its RRP of £107.” “While it’s got an RRP of £79.99, it has been discounted at various times throughout the year already, and we’ve seen it priced as low as £40. So unless you see this one for less than that, we’d suggest holding out for a better deal.”
Kenwood Kmix KMX754
“If you’re a keen baker, you might be keeping an eye on its price tag heading into Black Friday. “But a word of warning: this stand mixer is often discounted, so don’t feel like you have to jump on it on Black Friday. The price of this model fluctuates between £300-450, so you’re not getting a great deal if it doesn’t fall below £300.”
Tefal Actifry 2 in 1 YV960140
“While its RRP is £299.99, we’ve seen it as low as £160, so don’t be fooled by discounts in which it’s pricier than that.” ■ Be careful not to impulse buy - Make sure you know the sorts of products you want to buy and how much you are prepared to spend before you start shopping in the sales.
■ Don’t panic - Don’t worry about missing out on a good offer as our research has revealed that you could be better off waiting until after Black Friday anyway.
■ Find out about offers in advance - Sign up to favourite retailers’ newsletters for inside tips, or check their social media pages ahead of the sales for any clues or hints to what will be on offer. ■ Do your research - Look at the price on previous days to make sure you really are getting a good deal and don’t always trust online reviews as some are fake or paid-for.
■ Use the Which? Reviews app - Download the app to have Which? in your pocket when shopping in the sales this Black Friday. Last year more than 32,000 malicious Black Friday-themed apps emerged that spoofed online retailers’ branding.
The apps tricked shoppers into entering credit card information or Facebook and Gmail login details, and even to download information-stealing malware and ransomware.
Scammers also create fake retailer micro sites, invent phishing scams for fake deals and create malicious adverts
Raj Samani, of McAfee, said: “Black Friday is a minefield for shoppers and presents a huge opportunity for cyber criminals to take advantage.
“Never feel panicked to get the best deal and take your time to make sure a site or app is legitimate before entering any personal information.
“If an advert for a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is – think before you click on a link to a discount. The same goes for emails and messages received through Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. It’s best to check the site directly rather than click on any links.”
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■■ Avoid “too good to be true” deals: they are usually a phishing scam to get your data. Trust deals that are advertised directly. If you are unsure, call retailers for reassurance. ■■ Pay with a credit card: it gives better protection against financial fraud than a debit card and the crooks won’t be able to drain your account.
■■ Connect with caution: Avoid public Wi-Fi for shopping as you could be exposing data or credit card details to the cyber criminals.