Speaker 1: This year, black Friday is slated for November 24th, but for many retailers and consumers alike, the holiday shopping season is already in full swing. Amazon, Walmart Best Buy, and many other retailers began promoting deals well in advance in an effort to entice users. But what does it mean for you? What should you know to win Black Friday this year? Here are five tips to keep in mind free price comparison. Browser extensions are a helpful way to ensure you’re [00:00:30] getting the best price while shopping online. CNET has one called CNET Shopping, and there are several others. When you have a shopping browser extension installed and you’re browsing a product online, you’ll get a notification if that same product is available at a lower price from another retailer. Extensions can also scrape the web for coupon codes, although sometimes expired codes get pulled into these results between persistent inflation and the resumption of federal student loan payments last month, consumers may be less likely to splurge [00:01:00] this year, which means retailers will need to be more competitive with their deals and discounts.
Speaker 1: Compare prices on several different marketplaces when you can to get the best deal. If you already know what products you want to buy and you want to put a few extra dollars back in your pocket, consider shopping on a cashback marketplace like Rakuten. The way cashback marketplaces work is they redirect users to retailer’s websites using an affiliate link, but rather than take the entire purchase commission for themselves, [00:01:30] they split the commission with the customer in the form of cashback. This can be a good option if you already have a good idea of what products you want and where to purchase them. Many products purchased at this time of year will have a return or exchange policy that extends into the new year. It’s good to make sure you know the specifics so you don’t get stuck with something you don’t like. For example, on Amazon products purchased are returnable through January 31st, except for Apple Brand products, which must be returned by January 15th.
Speaker 1: [00:02:00] And at Best Buy, the return deadline for most products is January 13th. But if you’re a My Best Buy Plus or my Best Buy total member, you’ll have 60 days from the date of purchase. If you’re not 100% sure, you or your loved one will keep the holiday purchase, check the return policy so you stay in the know credit card signup bonuses entice users to take out new lines of credit. If you’re diligent about paying off your balance at the end of the month, a signup bonus can be a great way to squeeze [00:02:30] a few hundred extra dollars out of your holiday shopping efforts. A CNET report found that households making under $40,000 a year plan to spend an average of about $185 on holiday packages. Those earning between 40 K and 80 k plan to spend an average of about $259 and Americans making 80 k or more plan to spend an average of about $528.
Speaker 1: For some households, the cash back bonus on a new credit card would cover the entire holiday budget, but you’ll make sure you don’t overspend [00:03:00] as the interest that accrues on a credit card balance will quickly cancel out the financial benefits gleaned. Holidays are the busiest time of the year for e-commerce. That also means it’s the busiest time of year for package theft. Don’t let a porch pirate ruin your festivities. If you expect your package to arrive at a time when you won’t be home, see if you can have it shipped to a local UPS store or FedEx store. There will be a handling fee for this, but it’s usually just a dollar or two. Amazon also [00:03:30] offers Amazon Key in garage delivery, which is free if you let Amazon wait to deliver it to you until your designated Amazon Day or a dollar 99. If you want delivery on a specific day, black Friday shopping doesn’t have to be stressful. Implement one or more of these tips this year and you’ll have an easier time getting the gear you and your loved ones really want. Thanks for watching and check out more helpful tips by following CNET and visiting cnet.com.