Consumer group Which? has a few Black Friday reminders for shoppers to score genuine best deals. For the record, a recent study conducted by the group reveals a bothersome fact that most Black Friday deals in 2016 were actually found cheaper at other times of the year, if not for a similar price.
Which? magazine editor-in-chief Richard Headland shares some expert tips on how you can spot real deals on Black Friday. With only a couple of days away, you probably need his pieces of advice more than anything now.
Research
Anything that has the word 'savings' on it is a red flag. Consumers are encouraged to check out other retailers and e-commerce to compare prices. Which? is a great platform to look up product reviews. CamelCamelCame.com is ideal to track the before and current prices of Amazon products.
Beware of RRP
Recommended retail price (RRP), more often than not, is abused by many retailers. Manufacturers are not allowed to set the retail prices of their products, giving retailers the power to manipulate product costs. If possible, check the manufacturer's website to compare how much markup does the retailer put on top of the price on display.
Ask for price promises
Some retailers offer price promises, a scheme in which buyers get a refund for the price difference once they spot a cheaper deal of the same product in other stores. In some stores, they give you back the price difference if the price of the product you have just bought drops later. Edmunds, PC World and Argos, among other shops, have their respective price promise schemes.
Read product reviews
Product reviews are life-saver. In some cases, big discounts mean bad product, and you will only know that once you read the customer feedback.
Calm down
Remember, some marketing strategies are designed to ignite the impulse in you. When browsing for products, do not dive right into the shopping cart after you see 'sale', 'big discounts', 'last item', 'under $20', or 'free delivery'. Look at the fine print, they are small for a reason.
Check delivery costs
Many products are advertised to have 'free delivery'. Unknowingly, some of them say 'applicable to items $100 and up'. According to Which?, 4 in 10 people say postage and packing fees are the most annoying part of online shopping.
Are you ready for Black Friday? Don't forget to keep these tips from Which? in mind!
