Black Friday in South Africa: how to spot a real deal
Black Friday is the biggest sale event of the year, and the easiest time to get caught by a fake discount. Here is how to tell a real Black Friday deal from a dressed-up one.
The pre-event markup
Some shops raise a price in October or early November, then "discount" it back down on the day. The headline percentage looks big, but you are paying close to the normal price. Compare the deal to what the item cost a month or two earlier, not to the price the week before.
Doorbusters draw you in
A handful of items at genuine low prices get you through the door, while the rest of the catalogue is ordinary. A store-wide claim says nothing about the specific thing you want, so check each item on its own.
Bundles can hide the real price
A bundle can bury an overpriced item next to a cheap one and call the total a saving. Where you can, price the parts separately and decide whether you actually want all of them.
Let the price history decide
The only reliable check is what the item actually sold for over time. If the Black Friday price is at or near the lowest we have recorded, it is a real deal. If it is just below a recent spike, it is not. Every deal page here shows the lowest and highest we have seen and a chart of the price, so you can check a claim in seconds.
Plan before the day
Make a short list of what you actually want, note the usual price, and only buy if the event price genuinely beats it. A deal is only a deal if you were going to buy the thing anyway.