"Black Friday" Scams (& 10 Secrets Retailers Don't Want You to Know)

According to most retailers and sales tracking organizations, the day after Thanksgiving (“Black Friday”) is the busiest shopping day of the year - a whole lot of money changes hands as people begin their holiday gift-gathering.

They don't call it "Black Friday" for nothing – It's all about placing retailers "into the black" (in other words, into profitability). They profit not by offering goods at a loss, but by using ultra-low “teaser” prices to lure consumers into their stores, where they can employ underhanded tactics to make money.

Criminals and scammers also become extra-active on this occasion. According to Lou Venezia, CEO of Adeptra (a call center technology firm), "Credit and debit fraud is more prevalent than ever - and as fraudsters look to take advantage of the volume of transactions over this busy shopping period, consumers expect peace of mind as their banks and credit issuers hopefully do all they can to stay a step ahead (of criminals)."

Current research from Adeptra shows that shoppers themselves need to pay far closer attention, and take substantially greater interest in their accounts' activity. Adeptra reports that just over one (1) in ten (10) American consumers (11%) check their balances daily, and approximately 50% review their accounts once a week.

But according to Mike Elgan, technology writer and former editor of Windows Magazine, with some smart planning you can make "Black Friday" profitable for yourself, not the store.

Here is Mike’s list of “10 things retailers don't want you to know”:

(1) Most Black Friday deals are leaked early online. Check sites that post leaked Black Friday ads and info, and give yourself an advantage over the masses. The four best sites are: bfads.net, blackfriday.gottadeal.com, blackfridayads.com, and blackfriday.info. Some of these sites will optionally send you an e-mail whenever they post a new ad or new information. (So will Wal-mart's "Secret Section.") Some have cell phone versions of the site for referring while in-store.

(2) Many Black Friday deals are "bait-and-switch" scams. They may sell you a very cheap product with a very expensive warranty, or use a given price, but add software, accessories or other over-priced add-ons as a required but unadvertised part of the purchase. You'll find out about this only at the register. If the price at the register is significantly higher than advertised for any reason, ask to speak to a supervisor and insist on the advertised price. If they still refuse, threaten to write a letter to the attorney general.

(3) Get the best price without hassles by knowing price-match and return policies. Many stores offer price-match guarantees (if a competitor offers a lower price, they'll match it). Increasingly, Black Friday sales are exempt from all this. Others have a return policy that, in effect, is a price-match guarantee for the store itself (if they drop the price, the difference is later refunded to you if you ask for it). If you know which product you want to buy, and can find a store with a price-match guarantee that honors Black Friday prices, buy it! When Black Friday rolls around, you can go looking for the best price, and not have to worry about whether the store is out of stock. If a store is willing to refund the difference between its own normal price and its Black Friday price, buy it early for the same reason.

(4) Beat the system by shopping in teams. Stores rely on a long list of tricks, from limited sale hours to low inventories in order to lure you into the stores without giving you the time to comparison shop for the product you want at the best possible price. Have one team member in each store when it opens, each with a list of what everyone wants to buy. Use Joopz.com to set up broadcast SMS. Each team member finds every product on the list, then broadcasts pricing. The person at the store with the lowest price for each item buys it.

(5) Use your cell phone browser to check competing deals, and also product quality. You can also use standard sites like BizRate.com, Shopping.com and PriceGrabber.com to check just how good prices are. Sometimes Black Friday prices can be beat online anytime.

(6) Some Black Friday promos are designed to unload "loser" products. Products that are obsolete, unpopular, damaged or returned are prime candidates for Black Friday sales. Make sure you narrow your list of products, so you don't end up buying something you don't really want.

(7) Shop early - Very early. Many stores will open at midnight this year. Many open as early as 5 am. Find out in advance what time each store opens, so you can plan accordingly.

(8) Some of the best deals are advertised only on Thanksgiving -- or even on Black Friday itself. Make sure you get all the local newspaper on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.

(9) Some Black Friday deals are actually available online. Others are available ONLY online - or have prices that actually beat in-store prices. Start checking prices on Thanksgiving. Check Web sites again very early Black Friday morning, and shop there first. Then, go to the stores only if you have to. Also, there some stores that will let you order items online the day before, and allow you pick them up on Black Friday.

(10) Plan ahead to think clearly. Bring food, wear comfortable shoes, and leave the kids at home (kids can influence impulse buying or convince you to leave early). Stay focused, and don't let yourself be caught up in the frenzy.

Black Friday is a zero-sum game. Either the store wins, or you do. Use these tips to beat the stores at their own game.

Mike Elgan can be reached at mike.elgan+datamation@gmail.com or through his blog: http://therawfeed.com.