The great Black Friday 2024 shopping campaign is just around the corner as it is officially celebrated on November 29. And we’re talking about its original date of the last Friday in November, because most retailers have already started it with those “pre-black” deals that increasingly start earlier, combine with Cyber ​​Monday and last practically until the beginning of Christmas. campaign in early December.

And the original essence of the American ‘Black Friday’ was lost many years ago. Huge e-commerce presence These massive discount campaigns are blurring the line between virtual and physical, and Black Friday is no longer limited to a single day (the last Friday in November after Thanksgiving) or a physical store, as it was in its early days.

In Europe (and practically the whole planet including China with its own 11/11 imported from Black Friday) You can find “deals” in the most unexpected places and throughout the month. Perhaps the retail channel would have to rethink the situation to prevent consumers from fleeing due to saturation. But you already know what the market and marketing is like. In any case, even if more and more effort is needed to separate the wheat from the chaff, there are always products with good discounts, as we saw last week with flash offers.

Black Friday 2024 shopping: safety and good judgement

Shopping is an art, just like selling, and during this month you will be bombarded with all sorts of offers and the most unexpected advertisements. But how can we confront these campaigns with security guarantees, taking into account the scams, scams and scams that have occurred in previous years? We remind you of them general advice you should consider (and put into practice) to avoid disappointment.

Prepare your shopping cart and budgets

While you should always be open to an offer you can’t refuse, don’t get too excited, think about your needs and budget in advance. If you are clear about the product you want to buy and you expect (or have already seen it advertised) that it will be offered at a discount, you can prepare a shopping cart with these items in advance. You can also mark them as favorites or activate “wish lists” as a basis for your purchase intentions. And be prepared to end up empty-handed if you don’t find these promising deals.

Update your online shopping accounts

In the United States, brick-and-mortar continues to count heavily in these events, but outside of them, e-commerce is overwhelmingly winning. Get ready. On some e-commerce platforms, speed in hitting the buy buttons is key to accessing the best deals.

The best of them (the so-called flash) last minutes or seconds. Take some time to review your online accounts, personal information, shipping and billing addresses, and payment methods. If the online retailer supports it, activate the purchase with one click. Remember, every second counts when it comes to accessing massive products with the best discounts. Unfortunately, there are not many of them in Europe.

Followers

Tracking all offers from all retailers on a day like Black Friday 2023 can be a real headache for users as there is no standard for ads. However, there are trackers that do the work for us by filtering offers.

In the United States, services such as GottaDeal, FatWallet and Slickdeals are the reference, while in Spain similar services are offered by companies such as ValorTop. It is also interesting to activate the notification to receive email notifications with offers. And if not, don’t worry, at MuyComputer, like every year, we will offer you a wide selection of the best.

Demand guarantees

As with other “sale” periods, the warranty on products purchased on Black Friday is the same as any other time. Demand your rights as a consumer. In Spain at least two to three years for any electronic product. The same for shipments and returns (14 days from receipt of the product) or the maximum delivery time (30 days for online purchases, unless a longer period is indicated).

Large retailers are strengthening staff especially for logistics and customer service. There should be no problems, but make sure that the warranty must be the same as the rest of the year, whether you buy in a brick-and-mortar store or use e-commerce, on black or on Cyber ​​Monday, which will arrive later and be longer until the end of November.

“Black Fraud”, Scams and Malware

If in the United States we see year after year price reductions that are as real as they are spectacular, in Spain and Latin America they are not even close. What’s more, in the country that invented the picaresque, unscrupulous retailers even manage to raise prices during the campaign, in the grossest way: They raise prices in previous weeks and then drop them to the black as if they were “deals”.

It is essential to act as responsible consumers, know the official price set by the manufacturer, the historical price of the products and make in-depth comparisons between different sellers. You might be surprised by the price differences. Or that the desired product is more expensive than in October…

and security

It’s common for cybercriminals to use to carry out these massive shopping campaigns scams, scams, attempts to sneak malware or collect data personal breaches that we have seen in other years on platforms as important as Target, Home Depot or eBay.

It is recommended to strengthen your security so that you are not dissatisfied by following a number of tips for online shopping, which are extended to any period of online shopping, and as general safety precautions to be observed (among others) in all use of the Internet. networks:

• One card. As a security measure, it’s important to only use one credit card to minimize risk and make sure it has fraud protection, 2FA or similar. Same with any other payment method, PayPal or online banking passwords.
• Use strong passwords. Do not use the same password twice, especially for bank accounts. Activate two-factor authentication. Consider using a password manager to improve your online experience while staying secure.
• Avoid open Wi-Fi for shopping. Open-access Wi-Fi networks are not secure: Cybercriminals can get hold of data transmitted over unsecured Wi-Fi networks, including credit card numbers, passwords, bank details and more.
• Beware of “similar sites”. Attackers create look-alike websites that mimic those of well-known brands. These fraudulent websites may sell counterfeit (or non-existent) products, be infected with malware, or steal money or credentials.
• Avoid potential Phishing and Smishing attacks. Phishing emails lead to insecure websites that collect personal information such as login credentials or credit card information. Also, watch out for phishing attempts via SMS – also known as “smishing” – or messages via social media. And instant messaging, increasingly widespread.
• Do not click on the links. Go directly to the page of the advertised offer by entering its web address directly into the browser. If they are special promotional codes, write them down and check that they are legitimate.
• Check before you buy. Fraudulent ads, websites and apps can be difficult to identify. When you download a new app or visit an unusual website, take some time to read reviews about it as well as any user complaints.

Finally… the usual. The world doesn’t end with a Black Friday 2024 purchase. Let’s be responsible and consider our needs and budgets. And let’s prepare our minds to end the campaign empty-handed and avoid impulse purchases, although at the same time, just as we see embarrassing “deals”, there will also be many opportunities and the lowest prices of the year for some products.