With six tricks to the best offers

Dusseldorf In November, Black Friday primarily attracts online customers with bargains. More and more people are taking advantage of the discount campaign, as Christmas is just around the corner a month later and many want to take advantage of the opportunity to get offers.

This year, Black Friday 2022 falls on November 25th. The day of action originally comes from the USA, where the family festival Thanksgiving is celebrated the day before. This always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. On Friday, many Americans take one of their few days off to have a long weekend. They use it to shop.

But for a long time it’s not just the Americans who are lured with offers on Friday. For the tenth time, the German trade is calling out the day of action. But not every Black Friday offer is actually cheap. So before customers jump too quickly out of zeal and end up paying more, here are six tips.

1st tip: Search correctly – Where can you find Black Friday offers?

Whether “Black Week”, “Black Friday Deals”, “Black Sales”, “Deal Days” or “Black Friday” – all these advertising references point to discounts. You can find them on the big platforms like Amazon, Otto and Zalando. But many small online shops and more specialized providers are also using the days to lure new customers. Retailers also take part in the discount day. Accordingly, even shopping in front of the door can be worthwhile.

Incidentally, the creative neologisms arose from a dispute over whether “Black Friday” is a word mark. Dealers were concerned that they would be warned if they were named. Black Friday GmbH offers sublicenses to use the registered brand name.
The Federal Court of Justice has now decided: The word mark “Black Friday” must be deleted for the essential services in the “advertising” area. The BGH thus confirms the decision of the Federal Patent Court of February 28, 2020.

“Black Friday” is still a registered word mark, but no longer for the advertising sector. One of the decisive factors for the decision of the Federal Patent Court was that the portal Blackfriday.de of the founder Simon Gall was already active on the German market before the trademark application and already in 2012 bundled many discount campaigns from electronics dealers in Germany.

2. Tip: Choose the best time – When can you find Black Friday deals?

Figures from previous years show that the prices are by no means only cheap on November 25th. “Anyone who wants to make real bargains shouldn’t focus on Black Friday, but rather observe the prices of the desired products over a longer period of time,” says Michael Stempin, price expert at the comparison portal Idealo. According to a price study by Idealo, prices are falling in most product categories days and weeks before Black Friday.

3rd tip: Write a shopping list – How not to miss a Black Friday offer?

In order to be able to get hold of the product you want at the lowest possible price, it is worth making a shopping list in good time. Then it is also easier to observe the prices of the individual desired products. Otherwise you could quickly lose track of the many offers.

Subscriptions to newsletters and social media accounts can also help here. Price comparison sites such as idealo.de or mydealz.de offer alarm systems that send customers a notification on their smartphone or email when prices change. The following applies: An observation over several days before Black Friday can be worthwhile.

4th tip: Screen out false bargains – How do you recognize the cheapest offer?

It’s best not to get stuck on a specific version of a product on Black Friday. There are often huge price differences between one and the same product that is red instead of black, for example. If you remain flexible in this regard, the chances of getting a bargain on Black Friday increase.

Very important: Many providers calculate their discounts on the manufacturer’s recommended retail price, even though the products have long been cheaper. These bargains are only apparently cheap. Also very important: Always make sure that the prices include the shipping costs.

Tip 5: Read the fine print – How to protect yourself from scammers on Black Friday?

Favorable prices lure you to make a quick purchase. But caution is advised on Black Friday in particular – especially in online retail. In the case of unknown online shops, the seriousness of the shop should first be checked before the credit card details are entered. It is worth taking a look at the terms and conditions and the imprint as well as checking the entry in the online commercial register at handelsregister.de.

It is also advisable to only complete the purchase with a secure payment method. This includes payment platforms such as PayPal or Klarna as well as the Sepa direct debit procedure, credit card or purchase on account. Test seals such as Trusted Shops or TÜV can also protect buyers in advance from falling for fake offers or fraudulent shops.

Read about this: Retrieving a transfer if fraud is suspected – these are the options

Tip 6: Stay relaxed and calm – What do I really need?

Basically, the motto is: Don’t come under pressure. Online retailers like to use banners with messages such as “Only a few available” or “X people are currently looking at this item”. They should arouse desire and urge customers to make a quick purchase. The result: Customers pay too high a price.

Here it makes sense to look at the article over a longer period of time, to compare prices and to resist the tricks of the dealers. The next discount will definitely come.

More: Retail expects sales to jump when bargain hunting for Black Friday

First published: November 25, 2021 at 2:36 pm