Which?’s top five tips ahead of Black Friday 

With just 48 hours until Black Friday, Which? has revealed our top five tips to help bag a bargain and what to do if your deal ends up a dud.

Which? has created a special shoppers’ guide to Black Friday to help you make the most of grabbing a bargain.  With Black Friday deals on offer from a range of different retailers, there are plenty of simple things that shoppers can do to ensure the deal they’re getting really is special.

Our top five tips are:

  1. Be prepared– know what’s likely to be reduced on the day by signing up for retailers’ newsletters, ‘liking’ their Facebook pages and registering for Twitter alerts, as they’ll be keen to publicise their best deals. We’ll also be on the hunt for the top bargains on the day itself, which we’ll be publishing on our Black Friday website.
  2. Do your research– do your homework upfront to avoid being misled by a special offer that is anything but. Find out who is selling the products you’re interested in and compare the prices. If several retailers are selling a product at a similar price but only one is claiming it’s a special offer – eg. ‘Now £250, was £300’ – it’s a good indicator it’s not a genuine deal. We’ve also identified some of the deals you need to know about  and produced a list of our Best Buys and Don’t Buys to help you know what’s hot and what’s not.
  3. Start your Black Friday shopping early– many deals are already available online, with retailers trying to beat their rivals to a cut of your cash. Some retailers also offer new deals across the weekend and on ‘Cyber Monday’, so if you miss out the first time, there may be another chance to bag a bargain
  1. Register for online accounts– if you’re confident you’re going to be buying from a specific retailer, consider pre-entering your payment and delivery details in to your account so you can complete your purchases more quickly. Last year, many websites slowed to a crawl, so you’ll want to get in and out as quickly as possible. Don’t forget to make sure you’re signed in to your account before you start shopping and be sure to check you’re ticking the right consent boxes to avoid a plague of unwanted emails or phone calls once Black Friday has finished.
  2. Check out the returns policy– just in case your Black Friday purchase turns out to be a Black Friday dud, move quickly, as you only have 30 days in which to return  something that’s faulty and get your money back. If you miss this you will have to let the retailer have a go at repairing or replacing the faulty product. Our consumer rights experts have more information on your shopping rights.

Which? editor, Richard Headland said:

“There will be a whole host of deals available on Black Friday but not all of them will be genuine. Follow our simple tips, and check out our online guide, to stay ahead of the curve and spot the best discounts.”

The Black Friday deals you need to know about:

Beware, some products are often on sale throughout the year, so there’s no need to rush in and panic buy them on Black Friday. For example:

  •   Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE, usual price £120-£185 SIM-free. With Apple and Android dominating the smartphone market, Windows-based models like this Lumia can nearly always be bought at a healthy discount.
  • Tassimo Charmy, usual price £70-£90, the Tassimo Charmy coffee machine is normally sold at discounted prices, so don’t rush to buy this model on Black Friday.
  •  Nescafe Dolce Gusto Oblo, usual price £40-£60, these models are also often sold at competitive discount prices so don’t be fooled into thinking you’ve got a one off discount if you see this coffee machine on offer.

However, if you spot one of these products reduced on Black Friday, you could be getting a good deal:

  •  KitchenAid Artisan 4.8l, usual price £429-£499. Anything under £399 for this mixer is likely to be a good price, if you aren’t too picky about colour, you could snap up a bargain.
  •  Apple MacBook Pro, usual price £899-£1,999. Sought-after but expensive and Apple rarely offers discounts itself. If you spot a new MacBook Pro for less than £899 it could be worth a look – but make sure it’s not a refurbished model.
  • Vitamix S30 Personal Blender, usual price £399. This super-premium blender is pitched as a rival to the more well-known Nutribullet, but it’s rarely on offer so be alert if it pops up in a Black Friday deal.

Notes to editors:

  1. Examples of Which? Best Buys and Don’t Buys (with our % rating):

TVs

Laptops       

Cordless vacuums

Washing machines

Tablets

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