Black Friday: Genuinely useful tips to get the best deals

Fingers are poised and trolleys are primed for the annual pre-Christmas sale extravaganza that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Ariana News Agency- Newer products are still going to sell well at their original price so there is less incentive for firms to put them on offer – especially tech devices.

Consumer website Which? also suggests being cautious about apparently amazing offers on unknown brands.

“Just because a TV has 4K and HDR plastered on the box doesn’t mean it’s going to have as good a picture as a Best Buy model,” the website notes.

“If you’re researching an unfamiliar brand, keep an eye out for fake reviews.”

Watch out too for unfamiliar stores that significantly undercut their rivals.

Trustpilot and Reviews.co.uk are two popular sites where you can draw on past customers’ experiences.

In addition, it can be worth double-checking whether the retailer is based outside the EU as that might signal they are selling “grey market” items that the manufacturer’s regional division will not fix or replace if something goes wrong.

Sending a camera or phone back overseas for repair could easily wipe out any savings you might make.

If you do spot a good deal, bear in mind that some stores change their prices several times a day, so it may not last.

In some cases you can guard against this by sticking the product in your shopping cart before double-checking it’s a bargain by searching elsewhere.

If the store puts the price up in the meantime, you should still be able to complete the deal at the earlier advertised cost. And if it’s gone down, you can empty the basket and then add the product back in again to take advantage of the change.

There are also several websites, apps and browser plug-ins that can aid you on your shopping quest.

One of the most famous is camelcamelcamel, which allows you to see a product’s historic prices on Amazon and set up alerts to tell you if it drops to a desired price point.

If you buy anything online you have 14 days to change your mind and get a complete refund, says Sarah Pennells, editor of the consumer finance website Savvy Woman.