Black Friday – How To Make Sure You Get A Good Deal

Black Friday is like Christmas come early, because when we can pick out great pressies for bargain prices it’s not difficult to get into the spirit of the season.

The annual day of tempting offers – and its extension into the weekend and Cyber Monday – is a treat for gadget lovers, but as with all sales, it’s important to make sure that too good to be true deal is what it appears to be – a great deal rather than a bad one.

So before you part with your hard earned cash to get your hands on that piece of tech you’ve had your eye on, here’s a little guide to help ensure the deal you get is a good one.

Make a list, and check it twice

At the risk of sounding too sensible, there’s no bargain to be found if you’re buying something you don’t need! Instead of getting caught up in Black Friday fever, list out the things you have in mind…and stick to it! On the day itself, it helps to have some flexibility on the specification and price, but don’t buy based on that alone. Once you’ve singled out a potential bargain to buy, do your research on it. Pay close attention to online reviews across the internet and look to see if high street retailers sell it too, as if they do it means it’s a major product at the very least. If this research doesn’t prove fruitful, try to find out if the company will handle returns with good customer service. Talking of which…

Ensure you’re buying from a reputable retailer

Because the market for Black Friday weekend is so lucrative – an estimated £22 billion was spent last year – some companies will have the primary aim of cashing in on that frenzy. That means online consumers will need to be more vigilant than ever when shopping around. A good rule of thumb is to check the company’s ratings on TrustPilot and FeeFo. As well as checking the star rating, ensure you read the reviews about their post-sales customer care.

Compare prices before you buy

If it’s a good product, and a good company, then it’s time to check that the price is right. Companies might sell products at an artificially inflated price so that they can claim a hefty price cut for Black Friday. The best way to make sure that you’ve got a bargain is to compare prices with other retailers. This should give you a more accurate idea of the price. If the product isn’t available on other websites, the next best option is to see if you can find out the length of time that the product was sold for at its previous price. UK law says that it has to be on sale for “a meaningful period of time”.

Keep an eye out for scams

It’s always a great idea to be careful when handing over personal or credit card details, and that especially applies now. A recent survey found that nearly half of 18 to 24-year-olds have fallen victim to fraud when Christmas shopping, with 37 per cent losing over £100. So remember to stay vigilant over dodgy links, suspect website addresses, or emails letting you know your order has been cancelled or requesting payment details.

Check for discounts when you sign up to newsletters

If your preferred Black Friday deal isn’t tempting enough, there’s often an easy way to lop off another percentage. Hang around a retailer’s site for a while, and sometimes a pop-up appears encouraging you to sign up to their newsletter. As a reward, companies often give a code that entitles you to a discount off your next purchase. Which is handy if you were planning to buy something anyway! Just make sure to check the T&Cs as you may find some offers can’t be used in conjunction with any others. Also, if you sign up to a favourite retailer a few days beforehand, the newsletter might even be useful to highlight what their biggest deals are – so you can get in there before the virtual crowds.