WASHINGTON — QUESTION:
Are the deals offered from Black Friday through Cyber Monday really the best days to save on electronics?
ANSWER:
Yes, but come to the store (or complete that order) having done your homework.
SOURCES:
Kimberly Palmer- personal finance expert at NerdWallet
Bridget Carey- Senior Editor at CNET
PROCESS:
"Mega Discounts"
"Buy One, Get Another One Free"
"Limited Time Offer"
"The Best Deals Right Now"
Take just 30 seconds to scroll through #blackfriday on Twitter and it won't take long to be bombarded with sales pitches.
Black Friday, which used to be a one-day event, has mushroomed into a week-long shopping spree with Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday, affording customers more options and time to spend their money.
Our Verify team is all about getting you the best information available to stay informed.
Now, if you've been eyeing a new TV, smartwatch or camera, is Black Friday and Cyber Monday really the best time to get a deal on electronics?
Our Verify researchers spoke with Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at Nerd Wallet, and Bridget Carey, a senior editor at CNET.
"Black Friday really is in a category of its own because we see such deep discounts on electronics and appliances in particular," Palmer said. "But there are other holidays throughout the year that are getting more attention..the big one is Amazon Prime Day which happens in July."
Generally, our experts say, electronics are deeply discounted the day on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but you want to make sure the product your buying has all the "bells and whistles" you're looking for.
"If you are really looking for one type of television, in particular, you just want to make sure you're not getting a trimmed down version of that, and that's why the price is so low," Palmer said.
You'll often find older models on sale, items that were sold at the same price last year, Palmer said.
It’s called "recycled deals," but it's not always a bad thing.
"The big sales this time around tend to be last years' models, which are fine most of the time," Carey said. "Look for trends and see what you really need and you could score a great deal if you don’t care about having the latest and greatest."
Another pro tip: a website called Camelcamelcamel.com tracks items on Amazon to tell you if you’re getting it at the best price.
So yes, we can Verify, this weekend into Monday really is a great time to buy electronics. Our experts say there isn't much of a difference between the prices from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, so if you see something on sale Friday, go ahead and get it.
While the deals are pretty great, stores often use an advertising mechanism that makes the discounts look even deeper, Carey explained.
"I've also seen online in big red letters, this item is "80 percent off" its price, but what people don't realize is that it never was sold at the full price for the...past year, maybe it was already discounted," Carey said. " [it looks] like your getting this great deal off the original price but sometimes the company hasn't been selling it at that price for a while now."
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