Bagged any
bargains on Black Friday? A cartoon
circulating on Pinterest has a woman touting Black Friday is for amateurs. Real
professionals shop year around. It’s good for a laugh, but how true is it?
Secrets Behind Black Friday Sales
1. Prices
started going up in October, so they could be slashed on Black Friday.
2. Some
of those great prices offered included a rebate. Over 60% of the people never
even do the paperwork to fill out the rebate form. Another 8-12% do it wrong
and do not get the rebate. This is a pretty sweet deal for the manufacturer.
They offer a sale that few cash in on.
3. Limited
quantities. Ask my parents about that who stood in the cold at 4am to get a
computer, that the story only had four to sell. Unfortunately, they were number
five in line.
4. Knock
off brands. The amazing price is on a cheap version of the original
manufactured exclusive for Christmas. Quits working shortly after, surprise,
you cannot get it fixed or replaced.
5. This
was no great sale. It was the price that the manufacturer set to make a profit.
6. Refurbished items often masquerade as new
items. The ad may not mention it, except in six font buried somewhere in the
description. It depends on how you feel about refurbished items. My stepfather prefers them because he insists
they went back to be refurbished because of an issue. The refurbished item has
the issue worked out. This is especially good if it comes with a warranty. (I
bought a refurbished camera that lasted for years until I lost it in a move.)
7. The
store may intend to slash prices even more it you can wait.
Cyber Monday:
What's Good about It?
1. No
taxes if you should a store that is exclusively online.
2. Free
shipping. (If you aren’t getting it today, shop elsewhere)
3. Home
delivery
4. Flash
sales. Some people might not think these are great, but you have the option of
low discounts for a couple of hours. (Amazon at least lets you know what is
going to be on sale and when.)
5. Shopping
from your home or office
6. Low
prices—last year I bought popular blue-ray movies for $3 each.
7. Safety-no
fears of being trampled or involved in a shoving match
Shopping online today, check out Ebates and Retailmenot for additional discounts. It
always helps to get a little extra off.
Reflecting back
on my first Black Friday, I was barely nineteen shopping at the Fashion store
and I had my hands on a pair of purple jeans for my sister. The jeans would be perfect for my stylish
sister and the price met my meager budget too.
As I admired the jeans, a small elderly woman grabbed onto them. She
shouted at me that she had them first and she was a great grandmother. Shocked at the woman’s behavior and
determination, I gave up the jeans. Technically,
I knew I had my hands on the jeans first, but refused to get in a tug of war
with an elderly woman. I can’t remember what I bought my sister that year.
Whatever it was it wasn’t worth getting into knockdown fights over it. Maybe
this is one of the reasons I am embracing Cyber Monday.
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