WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: Shopping savvy for Black Friday

Shopping savvy for Black Friday

By Cheryl Lasseter - bio | email

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Black Friday sales are red-hot, but some Jackson area folks prefer a cool shopping experience, and they ventured out the day before Thanksgiving.

"I'm getting my mother's Christmas present," says Tracy Roe of Jackson.  "It's an all-in-one printer, does scanning, copying. I'm not going out on Black Friday, no way!"

"I'm not going out on Friday. I'm gonna stay home," said John Tuten of Brandon.

Those shoppers may avoid some pitfalls that plague Black Friday consumers. With help from Consumer Reports "ShopSmart" magazine and Bill Moak with the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi, we're outlining a few.

First, look for the asterisks (*) on advertisements. A JC Penney Black Friday ad has great prices for kitchenware. But the fine print reveals "price after rebate".

"Rebates can take so long, most people forget about them," said Moak.

Also, watch out for the bait-and-switch; super low advertised prices for products that you can't find when you get to the store.

"In some cases these are regional merchants that are doing this, the local store may not know the ad has been placed. It's not always their fault," Moak explained.  Shoppers are advised to carry the ads when they shop, and demand the product for the advertised price.

In addition, think before you buy an extended warranty.  "Think of it as a way to spend an extra $50 on something that you really didn't need to spend," Moak said.  "If you're worried about that, put $50 into a savings account."

And, carefully read over the terms of gift cards, and look for expiration dates.

But if you'd rather skip all the Black Friday chaos, don't worry about missing the sales.  Chances are, similar prices will pop up again.

"In many cases, you're gonna be able to get good deals on things well into the holidays," said Moak.