10 Black Friday Secrets, Stores Don't Want You To Know
They don't call the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" for nothing.
It's all about launching the megastores “into the black” – into
profitability. They profit not by offering goods at a loss, but by using
ultra-low prices to lure you into their stores, where they can employ
dirty tricks to make money.
But with my secrets, and some smart planning, you can make “Black Friday” profitable for yourself, not the store.
Here are the 10 things they don’t want you to know:
1: Most Black Friday deals are leaked early online. Check sites that
post leaked Black Friday ads and info, and give yourself an advantage
over the masses. The four best sites are: bfads.net,
blackfriday.gottadeal.com, blackfridayads.com, and blackfriday.info.
Some of these sites will optionally send you an e-mail whenever they
post a new ad or new information. (So will Wal-mart's "Secret Section.")
Some have cell phone versions of the site for referring while in-store.
2: Many Black Friday deals are bait-and-switch scams. They may sell you a
very cheap product with a very expensive warranty, or use a given
price, but add software, accessories or other over-priced add-ons as a
required but unadvertised part of the purchase. You’ll find out about
this only at the register. If the price at the register is significantly
higher than advertised for any reason, ask to speak to a supervisor and
insist on the advertised price. If they still refuse, threaten to write
a letter to the attorney general.
3: Get the best price without hassles by knowing price-match and return
policies. Many stores offer price-match guarantees (if a competitor
offers a lower price, they'll match it). Increasingly, Black Friday
sales are exempt from all this. Others have a return policy that, in
effect, is a price-match guarantee for the store itself (if they drop
the price, the difference is later refunded to you if you ask for it).
If you know which product you want to buy, and can find a store with a
price-match guarantee that honors Black Friday prices, buy it! When
Black Friday rolls around, you can go looking for the best price, and
not have to worry about whether the store is out of stock. If a store is
willing to refund the difference between its own normal price and its
Black Friday price, buy it early for the same reason.
4: Beat the system by shopping in teams. Stores rely on a long list of
tricks, from limited sale hours to low inventories in order to lure you
into the stores without giving you the time to comparison shop for the
product you want at the best possible price. Have one team member in
each store when it opens, each with a list of what everyone wants to
buy. Use Joopz.com to set up broadcast SMS. Each team member finds every
product on the list, then broadcasts pricing. The person at the store
with the lowest price for each item buys it.
5: Use your cell phone browser to check competing deals, and also
product quality. You can also use standard sites like BizRate.com,
Shopping.com and PriceGrabber.com to check just how good prices are.
Sometimes Black Friday prices can be beat online anytime.
6: Some Black Friday promos are designed to unload loser products.
Products that are obsolete, unpopular, damaged or returned are prime
candidates for Black Friday sales. Make sure you narrow your list of
products, so you don't end up buying something you don’t really want.
7: Shop early. Very early. Many stores will open at midnight this year.
Many open as early as 5 am. Find out in advance what time each store
opens, so you can plan accordingly.
8: Some of the best deals are advertised only on Thanksgiving -- or even
on Black Friday itself. Make sure you get all the local newspaper on
Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
9: Some Black Friday deals are actually buyable online. Others are
buyable only online, or have prices that actually beat in-store prices.
Start checking prices on Thanksgiving. Check Web sites again very early
Black Friday morning, and shop there first -- then go to the stores only
if you have to. Still other stores let you order items online the day
before, and pick them up on Black Friday.
10: Plan ahead to think clearly. Bring food, wear comfortable shoes, and
leave the kids at home (kids can influence impulse buying or convince
you to leave early). Stay focused, and don’t let yourself be caught up
in the frenzy.
Black Friday is a zero-sum game. Either the store wins, or you do. Use these tips to beat the stores at their own game.
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