Black Friday: How to Tell If It's a Good Deal

Black Friday is nearly upon us, and as a consumer you have to make the all-important decision: Will you brave the crowds to pick up holiday deals, or will you stay home and take advantage of online sales?

Either way, you’ll be sure to see some of the season’s steepest discounts as retailers hope to boost profits before the end of the year.

Is it really a deal?

If you’re planning to hit the big box stores, shoppers should do their research early to make sure that “low, low price!” is really a discount. This year, stores like Target and Walmart are opening earlier than ever before, but do some research on items you want to purchase before you make the effort to get up early.

“We really carry only a limited supply of our true ‘door buster’ deals, so unless you’re camping outside, your chances of getting the popular products are slim,“ said a team member at the Kingstowne Walmart, who didn’t want to be identified giving away store secrets. “We do offer the best prices of the season on Friday, so we encourage everyone to come by and shop!”

With time still left to plan, take a look at the items you’re thinking about buying and compare prices at all the name brand stores.

In addition to checking big box retailer store websites, check sites like pricewatch.com, pricegrabber.com, eBay and other places where you can really get a sense of who’s selling what for how much.  

You can also download Android, iPhone and Blackberry apps, like those from shopping.com or Nextag, that allow you to check and compare prices on the spot by scanning a barcode or entering in product information.

Some sites may have “Cyber Monday” deals advertised online, if you're willing to wait a few days to purchase that item.

Personal and Financial Security

Be wary of the crowds you’re going to face.

Detective Clinton Beach from Fairfax County Police Department’s Financial Crimes shared his advice for protecting yourself from theft in the stores.

“We suggest leaving multiple credit cards, social security cards and other important documents at home, in a safe and secure spot, rather than taking all of them in the wallet to stores while holiday shopping. Take only the one that you will need that day,” Beach said.

“We ask that residents use their credit cards rather than debit cards. The debit card goes to their account and their funds can be drained; if there is an issue with a credit card, there is the possibility of working with the banking institution to investigate the issue.”

If you’re going to take advantage of the countless deals found online, the FBI has shared their tips for keeping your credit safe from fraud.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s Holiday Shopping Tips

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Always run a virus scan on attachment before opening.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the e-mail to the web address link you are directed to and determine if they match.
• Log on directly to the official Web site for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify that the e-mail is genuine.
• If you are requested to act quickly or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act impulsively.
• If you receive a request for personal information from a business or financial institution, always look up the main contact information for the requesting company on an independent source (phone book, trusted Internet directory, legitimate billing statement, etc.) and use that contact information to verify the legitimacy of the request.
• Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

If you choose to ignore all the Black Friday sales, you’ll still have plenty of time to shop for your loved ones.

Keep in mind that Saturday, Nov. 26 is Small Business Saturday, an initiative started by American Express to encourage consumers to support small, locally-owned businesses this season.

Look for Patch’s 12 Days of Gift Giving Ideas starting two weeks before Christmas for gift ideas from all over the region.