{"id":7837,"date":"2021-11-25T18:36:14","date_gmt":"2021-11-25T17:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1516629"},"modified":"2021-11-25T18:59:16","modified_gmt":"2021-11-25T17:59:16","slug":"dont-get-caught-out-fake-black-friday-deals-and-how-to-avoid-them","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/dont-get-caught-out-fake-black-friday-deals-and-how-to-avoid-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t get caught out: Fake Black Friday deals and how to avoid them"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By George Storr\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 25 November 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Every year Black Friday serves up a tempting range of tech deals. If you\u2019re on the lookout for a new phone, a new TV, or any new devices at all, it\u2019s the perfect opportunity to bag a bargain. However, it\u2019s also easy to get swept up in the tidal wave of deals and to over-spend or buy something you don\u2019t need. Here are our top tips on avoiding a Black Friday nightmare.<\/p>\n

In a poll of 2000 shoppers, 22% said they had regretted at least one of their Black Friday purchases. 89% said they found the Black Friday sales stressful, and TVs (32%), phones (30%) and PlayStations (28%) were the most commonly regretted purchases of the seasonal sales, according to figures from Idealo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The same poll showed that 32% of shoppers struggle to tell whether any given deal is legitimate. Have no fear \u2013 this guide will help you to be a savvy online shopper, able to make the most of Black Friday discounts and pick out the real deals.<\/p>\n

Another alarming piece of research from Which<\/a>\u00a0showed that 85% of Black Friday deals in 2020 had been the same price at some point in the six months before the sales.<\/p>\n

Fake Black Friday deals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Max: yoga mat or mouse pad?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While looking into the best and worst that seasonal sales have to offer, we heard from Max (@_salvageyard<\/a>), a reader with a hilarious but regrettable Black Friday story.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ordered a yoga mat on Black Friday from Amazon without reading the reviews,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mat came 3 to 4 months later and was really small, roughly twice the size of a mouse mat. I went to read the reviews and the top mentions were \u2018waste of money\u2019, \u2018absolute joke\u2019, \u2018misleading\u2019, and \u2018mat is tiny\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned my lesson. Always read the reviews!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Claire: Apple-solutely not what I ordered<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our team also heard from Claire, a reader with a nightmare Black Friday experience behind her. Here\u2019s what Claire had to say:<\/p>\n

\u201cI saved money to buy an Apple Watch for my partner two years ago and waited for Black Friday to buy, as it went down in price. I used two gift cards, and the rest was a normal transaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so excited. I waited all day for it to come, and when it arrived, I immediately thought, \u201cHm. This doesn\u2019t look like a watch shaped box.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I opened it up \u2014 it was a first aid kit! Now, it was a very good first aid kit, but not an Apple Watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took two days to get in contact with the seller and request that they send me a new watch. The funny thing was I didn\u2019t even get a watch second time around. I got an Amazon Echo Dot. They didn\u2019t believe that I didn\u2019t get another watch delivered, and it took me two weeks to get my money and gift cards back. Then I had to go and buy it at full price somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, how do you sort the wheat from the chaff, dodge the fakes and pick out the genuine money-saving Black Friday tech deals?<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to avoid fake Black Friday deals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Buy from retailers you trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s always safest to shop with retailers that you know and trust. If you haven\u2019t bought from a site before, then look for online reviews from previous customers. Ultimately, if a little-known site is offering a deal that seems too good to be true, it might be!<\/p>\n

This is especially important when buying online as entrusting card details to dodgy online retailers can lead to fraudulent use of your bank account. Thankfully, most online retailers and online banking set-ups now offer extra security measures to prevent this.<\/p>\n

Mainstays like Argos<\/a>, Currys<\/a> and John Lewis<\/a> are always a good bet. John Lewis often offers extended warranties on products too, while Currys has a well-loved price-matching policy.<\/p>\n

Remember also, when buying from Amazon<\/a> and eBay<\/a>, that you\u2019re not always directly buying from those platforms. In many cases, third-party retailers sell their goods via the site, so it\u2019s always worth checking their reviews before you buy.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re bringing you only the genuinely good Black Friday deals<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve learnt anything from this article, it\u2019s that there are a lot of fake deals out there and shopping around is key. Here are a few examples of genuinely good Black Friday discounts we\u2019ve spotted this year.<\/p>\n

For more, head to our best Black Friday deals<\/a> round-up.<\/p>\n