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MOST Black Friday deals aren’t actually a bargain, according to new research from Which ?.
It was found that almost nine out of 10 products for sale during the sales boom were previously offered, for the same or cheaper price.
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The consumer group tracked the prices of 219 popular home and tech products over the course of a year, including the six months before and after last year’s Black Friday.
The analysis looked at products from major retailers, including Amazon, AO.com, Argos, Currys PC World, and John Lewis.
And the products included household items and technology, such as headphones, fridges and sound bars.
It found that 85% of the items could be found cheaper or for the same price in the six months before Black Friday.
When which? Comparing one-year prices for these products, he found that only three of the 219 items he tracked were at their cheapest on Black Friday.
Our tips for finding the best deals this Black Friday
It may be tempting to dive in and shop for LOADS of items on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but here’s how you can guarantee you’re getting a good deal.
PREPARE Research the items you want to buy and find out the cheapest price. Websites like PriceSpy, PriceRunner, and CamelCamelCamel will give you historical data on prices so you can see how much you have to pay.
GET FOLLOWING Follow your favorite stores on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to their sales newsletter to receive the latest news. We also post the best deals on our Sun Money Facebook group.
EARN CASH Check websites like Quidco and TopCashback BEFORE placing your order. Cashback websites PAY you to buy. All you have to do is click on its links and the money is added to your account online, usually within 14 days.
Natalie Hitchins, which one? Head of Home Products and Services, said, “Do some research first. That way, you’ll know a real bargain when you see it.”
Of all the retailers he examined, Currys PC World was the most likely to have their Black Friday deals available at similar prices at other times – 47 of the 49 products were found to be cheaper or priced the same across all six previous months.
Which? found a set of Bose headphones to cost £ 249 on Black Friday at Currys PC World, but they were cheaper or the same price at least 15 times in the previous six months.
Currys PC World said prices are continually matched and upsell throughout the year “to ensure we keep our promise of amazing technology that is affordable and accessible.”
John Lewis was not far behind with 70 of 78 Black Friday deals. What? tracked cheaper or the same price before the day of the sale, while AO was 38 of 44 and in Argos it was 15 of 18.
A De’Longhi coffee machine at John Lewis cost £ 1,285 in the Black Friday sale, but the machine had been at the same price or less at least 35 times in the previous six months, dropping to less than £ 1,200 over several days. in May and June 2019.
John Lewis said, “As a participating Black Friday retailer, we offer hundreds of deals on tech, home, beauty and fashion.
“In addition to the variety of deals we have in store and online during the promotional period, our never knowing price promise to sell less means we continually monitor and match our competitors’ prices throughout the year.”
AO said: “We offer great deals for our customers throughout the year. Last year’s Black Friday event had over 9,000 fantastic and fair customer deals and we hope this year is even bigger.”
And Argos said: “Our Black Friday event gives customers access to hundreds of products at the lowest price. They can also be part of the sales and promotions we run the following year.”
Amazon had the fewest or cheapest deals, with just over half of the products tested turning out to be cheaper or at the same price in the six months leading up to Black Friday.
How to protect yourself while shopping online
- GUT SENSATION: Stick with popular retailers like Amazon, Currys, and Argos.
If you are looking for lesser known sites, trust your instincts. Don’t shop anywhere that looks unprofessional, has weird pop-ups, or sells items at prices that seem too good to be true. - FAKE NEWS: Do not reveal any unnecessary personal information. All you need to provide is your name, address, and payment details.
Avoid clicking on links in emails. Phishing scams can come from messages that appear legitimate, but send you to bogus sites that collect information to steal your identity.
Instead, type the URL directly into the search bar. - NOT SO INTELLIGENT: Use your computer instead of your mobile. Most phones don’t have antivirus software, and it’s harder to tell if shortened URLs used on social media are legitimate.
Also, wait until you are at home and on a password-protected Wi-Fi network, as hotspots do not protect your data. Periodically update your browser to increase its security. - HACKED OFF: Using the same password for every retailer you sign up with may seem like the easy option, but it makes the hackers’ job easier.
Use complicated passwords, make them different for each site, and change them every few months. - ADDRESS IT: Please verify that the website you are using has HTTPS in the URL as the “S” indicates that the way your information is sent is secure. Another sign of a secure site is a small padlock on the screen.
On Amazon, which one? found a ‘bargain’ on a £ 97 Shark handheld vacuum on Black Friday 2019, just over half the £ 180 maximum it had been.
Amazon said: “We seek to offer our customers great value through low prices throughout the year, as well as a number of fantastic seasonal sale events.
“Our Black Friday deal consists of thousands of deals on a large selection of products from all categories on the site, at a time of year when we know saving money is important to our customers.”
Black Friday sales already started early before the day of November 27.
This year’s sales bonanza is expected to be bigger than ever with record sales and more people shopping online than ever due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Shoppers are also warned to beware of criminals this Black Friday.
Consumers who fall victim to an online scam this week could lose an average of £ 735 each, says Barclays.
The bank said that electronics, sneakers, phones and clothing are popular products that criminals use to tempt victims.
Scammers create fake websites and offer products that are fake, poor quality, or never arrive.
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