The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Grab bargains but watch that budget
Whether you’re looking to claim an offer or trying to avoid spending altogether, these Black Friday tips may help.
Black Friday is looming – and while some people may be looking forward to grabbing a bargain, others may be worried about the impact the shopping bonanza could have on their alreadystretched budget.
Nine in 10 (89%) Christmas shoppers are relying on Black Friday (which falls next Friday) to help them make some or all of their festive purchases this year, according to research from Barclays.
To help people save money if they are looking for a bargain – or swerve the event altogether if they’re worried about the impact on their finances – here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind...
DO 1. Use price trackers and compare deals
Do some research beforehand.
You could make a list of items you particularly want and use price-tracking websites to help you work out whether you are actually being offered a decent discount.
Camelcamelcamel.com, for example, tracks prices on Amazon and sends out price drop alerts. And Pricerunner.com helps shoppers compare prices between different retailers. Many retailers have launched offers way before Black Friday itself, so check what is already available. 2. Sign up for offers from your favourite retailers
If there is a retailer you are already planning to buy from, you could try signing up to see if you are offered any extra Black Friday discount codes or deals.
And if you do not want your usual email inbox to be clogged with marketing emails, you could set up a separate email to receive these all in one place.
It may also be worth signing into a store’s website and leaving items in your basket for a while, to see if you are offered discount codes to complete your purchase.
3. Shave even more money off
Try to make a good deal even cheaper by seeking extra voucher codes or using cashback sites like Quidco and Topcashback.
4. Consider how you will pay
If you are using a credit card to make purchases, you could check out any points or rewards on offer.
For more expensive buys, it may be worth considering a credit card which offers 0% interest on spending for a certain period. Make sure you can clear the balance before interest kicks in.
Some ways of paying, such as Paypal, offer extra protections if something goes wrong.
DON’T 1. Get carried away
You could remove temptation altogether by unsubscribing to retailers’ emails you have previously signed up to.
Buy-now-pay-later offers and credit cards can help to spread the cost of purchases, but you be tempted to buy items that are not really needed.
If you are prone to impulse spending, maybe try taking a break before completing a purchase to mull it over.
2. Overlook refurbished versions of the items you want
Both ebay and Amazon, for example, have sections on their websites where shoppers can search for refurbished goods.
Ebay says eight out of the top 10 Black Friday deals sold on ebay UK last year were refurbished, with Dyson products, Simba mattresses and iphones being particularly popular.
Check exactly what condition the item is likely to arrive in.
3. Take chances
Scammers will use Black Friday as an opportunity to strike, so watch out for phishing emails with dodgy links, unfamiliar websites offering deals which are too good to be true, and websites which are cloned to look like those owned by trusted retailers.
4. Forget about your consumer rights
If paying by credit card, you may have additional protections under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which enables people to put in a claim to their credit card company if goods or services costing between £100 and £30,000 are shoddy or are not received.