Avoid buyer's remorse on Black Friday: Check out these tips

With Black Friday fast approaching, here is a useful guide for shoppers looking for a bargain.

While there will be great bargains available, many resellers use Black Friday to “clean out old stock or demo display stock”, warns Jasmine Lin, product manager and marketing head at ASUS South Africa, in a statement. ASUS, which ranks among the Forbes 2018 Global 2,000 Best Regarded Companies, states that it is the third-largest laptop manufacturer in the world.

She cautions shoppers to be “careful about the specification of the IT device (laptop, PC, tablet, phone, accessory or component) they buy and to check whether it is the latest product or it is second-hand”.

Lin also advises bargain hunters to do their research ahead of time to ensure that the deal is as good as it is portrayed to be.

“Time is very limited and everywhere will be crowded, even online. Start your research now. Shoppers need to know what the regular price is. Sometimes the Black Friday deal is not really a great deal, it’s just that consumers psychologically think they are getting a good deal because it is Black Friday,” she says.

However, Lin says that with planning and care, bargain hunters should be able to nab a great deal.

Lin’s tips for Black Friday bargain hunters are:

1. Carefully check the specification of the IT device or component you are purchasing as it may be old stock or even second-hand.

2. Use reliable and trusted resellers. Also make sure the payment portal you are using is safe and secure when you are shopping online.

3. Be patient and be prepared for a long wait, even when shopping online. Brick and mortar stores and online stores will be chaotic and there is a risk their networks will not be able to cope with the traffic.

4. Do your research ahead of time to ensure you know what the regular price and the correct specifications are.

5. Place your desired goods in a shopping basket ahead of time, if possible, if you shop online, as that will save time on Black Friday.

6. Target the big stores, as they will have more goods to supply on the day.

7. While most deals will be the best you can find for the year, stock will be very limited. Don’t be too disappointed if the items you want are sold out as many resellers will have Christmas and year-end sales in December.