Black Friday is nearly here. You may have noticed some ads for Black Friday deals as early as late October, and perhaps you’ve been waiting for the right moment to hunt for the best deal. But sellouts do occur. So here are some tips to help you get the best online deals. And don’t miss AT&T’s Black Friday Deals.
Track retail websites
Pay close attention to retailer and other vendor websites that sell your favorite wireless devices, accessories, and wireless plans. If a Black Friday deal you want happens at a trusted vendor, create an account and save your credit card information before the event begins, so the checkout process goes quickly. It’s also a good idea to clear your web browser cache before you start shopping for Black Friday deals.
If a deal does sell out, another retailer or online vendor might just have the same or a similar deal. That’s especially true for big-box stores that advertise online. Check other retailers if a deal you want is out of stock. You might find what you’re looking for. Deals do come back in stock, too.
Shop early, but keep Black Friday and Cyber Monday in mind
As mentioned above, some Black Friday sales begin in late October, which means you don’t have to wait for Black Friday weekend to find discounts on wireless devices and accessories. Retailers offer deals in virtually every wireless device category, and many have holiday refund and return policies that include partial refunds for items that go on sale for less later in the season. Just keep your receipts and check back regularly.
Also, be aware that though early sales can be good, the best deals still come between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Thanksgiving is typically the best day to shop for electronics such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and accessories; laptops are often a bargain on Cyber Monday.
Watch for “bargain” scams
It’s easy to get caught up in the Black Friday season feeding frenzy. However, many of those online deals masquerading as incredible bargains are not always as good as they look. It’s easy to be fooled if you don’t check carefully.
Comparison shop
To find out if deals really are good, track online prices on the wireless devices and accessories you want leading up to Black Friday. The same goes for Cyber Monday. But you don’t have to go retailer by retailer to compare prices; you can compare current prices on sites such as and Shopzilla, Google Shopping, and PriceGrabber. And when you’re in a store, smartphone apps such as BuyVia, Shopkick, ShopSavvy, and Shopular let you scan bar codes or QR codes to compare prices, get discounts, and score coupons.
There are also dozens of websites that post leaked—and authorized—Black Friday ads, such as BestBlackFriday.com, DealNews, TheBlackFriday.com, Deals Plus/BlackFriday.fm, and GottaDeal. Sign up for deal alerts, which you can usually filter by product category.
Note: When you’ve crossed everything off your holiday list, delete the apps you don’t use anymore to protect your privacy and security.
Use browser extensions
It can be tough to comparison shop in the days running up to Black Friday. Browser extensions can help. These are small bits of software you can add to web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox to customize your browsing experience. For example, CamelCamelCamel and Honey are online tools that show you price histories and price alerts or available coupons.
Be a web-savvy shopper
Add items to your online shopping cart if you find them at a price you like, so you can locate them again quickly and be ready to order. Then check other retailers’ and vendors’ websites to see whether the price is really special. Just know that putting an item in your cart doesn’t reserve it. You need to place your order and confirm it.
Use loyalty programs
Store loyalty programs often give members early access to coupons, sales, and promotions, then let them earn rewards on what they buy. That applies not only to wireless devices and accessories, but to all product categories. So, sign up for Black Friday shopping alerts.
Go social
The Facebook, Instagram, and X feeds of your favorite retailers are a great way to find out about exclusive deals and promotions. Retailers often reward customers who like or follow them with special alerts to Black Friday discounts and incentives. And of course, texts, tweets, and social media posts are an easy way to share Black Friday shopping intel with your friends.
Stick to your budget
Black Friday sales, especially the doorbuster specials available in limited quantities, are designed in part to get you shopping online so the retailer can sell you stuff you didn’t intend to buy. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and overspend. Decide ahead of time how much you want your Black Friday shopping spree to cost and resist impulse buying—especially if you’re not sure how good a deal really is.
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This article is AT&T sponsored content written by Robert Rivenbark, an AT&T contractor and a TechBuzz contributor. The statements in this article are his own and don’t necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of AT&T.
