Black Friday is observed this Friday, November 28, with many taking advantage of the day to find discounts and promotions. However, caution is necessary to ensure good purchases and avoid misleading offers.
“Not all advertised discounts are good buying opportunities, and sometimes there are online stores where the product may be sold for a lower price,” DECO PROteste advises, recommending consumers compare prices before purchasing.
The organization explains that the “Compare Prices tool records the price evolution of products in online stores and helps verify if a discount is genuine.”
“Simply enter the name of the store and a product or the URL of the page where it is being sold into the search engine, and if it is in DECO PROteste’s database, the comparator indicates if it’s really a good buy at that store, where it is sold cheaper, and the product prices over the last seven days, last month, and last three months,” the organization explains.
The consumer protection organization also offered five tips for making smart purchases on Black Friday. Here they are:
1. Prepare the purchase, research prices, and gather information
“Knowing in advance which products will be on promotion makes it easier to confirm if they are good opportunities. Seek out this information by signing up for newsletters from stores that interest you or by following them more closely on social networks. For online stores, DECO PROteste’s Compare Prices tool will be a good ally.”
2. Check product quality before purchasing
“Promotional products may promise a lot and deliver little. Educate yourself and read about those that interest you, as they may not live up to your expectations. Also, search for them in DECO PROteste’s comparators, where you’ll find test results for hundreds of products, such as mobile phones, tablets, televisions, and various appliances.”
3. Start shopping early
“The best offers usually sell out quickly. If buying in a physical store, check its opening hours and your availability to visit in the early hours. If shopping online, just wait for midnight.”
4. Know the purchase and return policies
“Some stores allow online purchases with in-store pickup within a specified timeframe. This option might be worth considering if you’re short on time or want to avoid shipping fees and the crowds during Black Friday.
Additionally, if the purchase is online, you have the right to return the product within 14 days. This does not apply to physical stores, where merchants are not obliged to accept returns (except in cases of defects, for example).”
5. Be cautious on Black Friday
“It’s easy to create social media accounts to advertise fake stores or sell counterfeit and pirated products. Be wary of offers that seem ‘too good to be true’ and carefully verify the information shared on these channels to avoid scams. DECO PROteste has an online tool to check the safety of the site you are visiting.”
