Understand the World
Black Friday & Tips
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the avalanche of deals and offers during the Black event. To help you in this we’ve put together this small selection of tips and tricks.
SET UP ALERTS AND SWITCH ON NOTIFICATIONS
You should consider setting up tailored alerts to help you keep on top of the items that are most important to you. Amazon offers notifications that allow you to track price drops on relevant products, while Google Alerts and Twitter Notifications both help you keep an eye on offers across a wider range of retailers.
CHECK PREVIOUS PRICES
Some Black Friday deals might look fantastic at face value – particularly when listed alongside the RRP or the price the product was first listed at. However, prices can fluctuate and a higher-than-usual pre-sale price can make a deal look better than it really is.
ASSESS STOCK LEVELS
Many online stores offer the ability to check stock levels. Keep a close eye on this and prioritise the items on your list that have lower stock availability so you can lockdown those in-demand products.
READ THE SMALL PRINT
As tempting as it might be to speed through to the checkout, do spend a couple of minutes checking the small print before paying. You should look out for specific information on returns policies, as some retailers may offer refunds in a shorter window than usual or refuse refunds entirely, instead offering store credit – which isn’t ideal for those big ticket items like smartphones, laptops and TVs. This may also contravene Australian consumer protection laws, depending on the circumstances, so you may want to brush up on your rights.
USE SECURE PAYMENT METHODS
Different payment methods offer different levels of consumer protection. Credit card payments typically give buyers more protection than those made by debit card. It’s worth noting that if you use PayPal or another third party payment service you may not be as broadly protected as you might have versus paying with a major Australian bank’s credit card.