Friday, November 19, 2010

Black Friday 2010's Dirty Secrets

From CNN Money. If it's too good to be true...

"Black Friday bargain hunters beware. There's a good chance you won't score that doorbuster deal you've set your heart on.

...

"The crushed hopes of hundreds of midnight shoppers, who camped outside for hours in the cold hoping to score a 40-inch LCD HDTV for under $500, only to later learn that the store had only four in stock.

That's one harsh -- but all too common -- example of a Black Friday reality that shoppers need to know about before they map out their shopping warplan, said Edgar Dworsky, consumer advocate and editor of Consumer World.

But there are many more. Here's a sampling of Black Friday secrets that CNNMoney.com has flagged for deal:

1. Limited supplies: Read the fine print on the Black Friday circulars.

2. Avoid bad bling. Jewelry is always a sought-after deal on Black Friday. But experts say consumers should keep some tips in mind before buying their bling this year.

3. Which Black Friday deals are online? Many retailers will say that their Black Friday in-store deals are available online but they won't tell you which ones.

4. Don't assume a "price match" policy. Many retailers who typically follow a price-match policy during the year may drop it for the Black Friday shopping weekend.


Details of each are in the original article linked above.

These aren't limited to 2010's Black Friday, either--they started popping up after the first Black Friday was held. Retailers learn from their mistakes, as always, and the goal is ALWAYS to never give the store away (not one square inch of it). Every Black Friday will be like this, and there will be more tricks to come, I'm sure.

Regarding electronics: not only are supplies severely limited, but they're selling outdated, obsolete merchandise. Those flat-screen TVs have probably been sitting on the shelf for years, and aren't even the coveted HD, and as for computers--that's a sadder tale. Sure, you might score a $200 laptop, but beware that Celeron chips still abound out there...and how old (and slow) are Celeron chips? The memory size is also important, and these won't have much memory space.

The saddest part? You think you've scored a deal on these things, when they've all actually been MARKED UP for the Black Friday sales. A Celeron-carrying computer isn't even worth the $200 they want for it! These were basically throw-away items, and retailers have figured out how to make money from trash (even though they're worth far more to recyclers).

You need to read the fine print--ALL OF IT--including those TV and computer description cards that tell you what's inside them. You could be way overpaying for junk.

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