SAN DIEGO — The biggest sale of the year has returned with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and shoppers are already strategizing about how to snag the best deals.
While some may be doing their Black Friday shopping from the comfort of their home, those that are going to be going from store to store may want to plan ahead on how to make the most of an outing without breaking the bank.
Double check your receipts
Protect yourself from overcharging by always checking your receipt — maybe even twice. Even great stores may have an occasional discrepancy on your receipt.
According to the County of San Diego, about one out of every five stores inspected by county officials from January and October this year had overcharge errors, with the average falling at about $2.37 difference.
While you are checking out, watch the pin pad’s screen as your items are being scanned and verify that your receipts match up with the listed display price — in the case of Black Friday, the price adjusted for the store’s sale promotion — for the item. County officials say stores cannot legally charge more than their lowest advertised, posted or quoted price.
Shop with a plan
Bring a plan with you to wherever you will be going for Black Friday shopping. This can look like:
- Making a list of what you need or are looking to get.
- Comparison shop with several different stores to find the best values.
- Don’t buy everything all at once — there are plenty of other sales that will happen throughout the holiday season, so the Black Friday deal may not be the best bargain you can get. Major gift-giving deals later in the season may be a deeper discount for some of the items you are looking to snag.
Be aware of scams, doorbuster deals
Major sales events like Black Friday have increasingly become prime opportunities for scammers, given how prevalent online shopping has become.
Some common scams to watch out for during the shopping season include: urgent requests for updated billing information, fake websites with deals on popular products, phishing emails and unauthorized sellers. The Hill has compiled more of the most common scams to avoid this shopping season here.
Doorbuster deals can also be deceiving for consumers. Financial experts say that those deep cut deals are often on outdated or lower-quality items. If you are going to shop these sales, be sure to consider how flexible you are with your desired item’s make or model.