Dirty secrets of Black Friday 'doorbusters'

[DearAbby]

Here are a few things bargain-hungry consumers need to know before they hit stores before dawn the day after Thanksgiving.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Here's a Black Friday reality check: Of the hordes of pre-dawn shoppers who line up for hours outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving, most will not bag the best bargains that appear in merchants' circulars.

Look at the fine print that appears next to an advertised "doorbuster deal" at the bottom of the page in this year's circulars.

It will either say "While supplies last," "Minimum 2 per store," "No rainchecks" or "All items are available in limited quantities."

A quick scan through a few of this year's Black Friday circulars show quantities as low as a "minimum of 5 per store" on some models of large plasma and HDTVs and popular brands of home appliances such as a washer-dryer pair.

Should Black Friday deal hunters feel cheated? Yes they should, say some retail experts.

"It's a sleazy practice," said Craig Johnson, retailing expert and president of retail consulting group Customer Growth Partners.

"I am old school," said Johnson. "If a retailer is advertising a juicy deal and they are not prepared to have in sufficient quantity, don't advertise it. Or give consumers a rainchecks"

More at link:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/20/news/economy/black_friday_doorbuster_secrets/

[47of74]

1. I would rather use a drill on my man parts

Than go shopping that Friday morning.

[DearAbby]

3. I also avoid going out on Black Friday to shop...

rather have my teeth pulled.

[Lerkfish]

11. ONE year I tried to get something my young son despeartely wanted

I waited in line since 3 am, the doors opened at 7, and before I could get to the item, I watched in horror as shopper after shopper were going to the checkout with multiples of the item (one person had 15, and these were big in size items) and before I could get to them they were all gone. I asked one of the multiple shoppersif they could spare one and the told me to f@k off.

never again.

[Taverner]

13. Black Friday - As a spectator sport, it's kinda fun

But as a participant - its no holds barred Ayn Rand 'altruism is evil' set to music.

[47of74]

14. I worked in retail so that pretty much killed any desire to shop on black friday

[Blackhatjack]

2. Do you have a link to this year's sales circulars? Thanks.

[DJ13]

4. Here you go

http://www.black-friday.net/
Black Friday 2009 Thanksgiving Day Black Friday Ads at Black-Friday.net

[Atman]

5. If you're stupid enough to camp out at a Wal Mart for three days just to buy a TV...

...then tough shit. The same stuff will be "on sale" again the following weekend at ten other stores.

Get a brain, morans.

.

[kegler14]

6. Ummm, people really didn't know this?

My wife used to go out on BF but she never went for those mega-deals because she knew they were limited and she'd never bag one. Instead she'd shop with her sisters and have lunch. Not my idea of fun but they enjoyed it.

[CreekDog]

7. Best Buy here in SF once handed out tickets to people who lined up at midnight

they were like vouchers.

based on your position in line, you got the best choice of vouchers according to what deals they had.

they handed you the voucher and you could come back at 6am or whenever they opened to buy your item.

no fighting, no fuss and Best Buy eliminated any reason to trample, or even push and shove someone else to get a deal.

i don't think they did this again, however, it was a great idea.

[LeftyMom]

28. That's how Best Buy usually does it for the doorbuster items.

The one here you do have to stay in line (it looks good for the TV cameras) but everybody knows before they get in the door how many cheap TVs, laptops, whatever they are and the people in the front who want them get tags for the items. Then people get let into the store a few at a time, no stampede.

The trick with those kind of items, at stores that allow it, is either to get it a few days before and then go in that morning after the initial rush with your receipt and get a price match, or to go to a competitor with the same item and get that price matched to the sale. Or to buy online, but that can be iffy too, the items go fast online but at least you can do it at home in your pajamas after thanksgiving dinner.

[luvspeas]

8. Support the workers - Don't go to these sales...

These poor people have to be at work at 3 and 4am! Some stores are staying open through Thanksgiving. If you refuse to go this year, and there are no sales, the retailers will not do it again next year and the worker's will not be held responsible.

[pitohui]

10. you have a very ODD idea of how to support the worker

hourly workers get paid extra hours for coming in early PLUS they get time and a half or double time on holidays (my hubby gets double time)

this is an opportunity for workers to get extra hours/overtime they wouldn't ordinarily enjoy, just in time for christmas shopping

believe you me, just getting regular hours, much less overtime, is a BIG deal in this economy

[Sherman A1]

17. Agreed

and well said.

[Sherman A1]

16. I go to work each day at 4am and

the store in which I work has an overnight shift. I am confused as to why you view that as an issue?

Certainly there are legitimate concerns about safety and those should be addressed at each store. Likewise the limited quantity issue is in my opinion rather unsportsmanlike, nevertheless, opening a store for business at an early hour is not an issue.

Are there no 24 hour grocery stores or pharmacies in your area? Those have to be stocked and staffed, so the hour is simply not important.

[Codeine]

21. What's wrong with 3AM?

I head to work that early twice a week. :shrug: Work's work -- I really don't WANT to be there at any hour, but there's little difference between and early morning shift and any other shift.

[pitohui]

9. how is that a secret? clue train--THAT'S WHY PEOPLE LINE UP

everyone knows the supply is limited, that's why the people line up

if there was plenty of "the deal" for everyone, we would all sleep until noon and cruise in to purchase "the steal" at our convenience

it's a contest, a sort of game, and the players know the score

[Travis_0004]

12. Agreed

There are two commodities everybody has. Time, and money.

Some people are willing to give up their time to save money (waiting outside for 6 hours on black friday), and others will trade their money to save time (paying full price some other time).

Obviouly people like these deals, or else they would sleep in. Shoppers can save money, and get more stuff for their kids, employees get a few extra hours pay, whats not to like?

[sweettater]

15. People getting

trampled for one.

[Codeine]

22. That's unrelated douchebaggery.

Assholes are assholes, and if the people that push and trample were arrested or beat down by other customers on the spot there'd be less of that.

[JVS]

23. Related douchebaggery

[luvspeas]

18. You are all pretty naive if you think people want to get up at 2am the day after Thanksgiving to go

to work. Believe me, I know. It's not the priviledge some of you think it is to lose the one an only day a year that a low-paid worker might have the chance to spend with their families. What do you say to the kids? How do you get childcare for that matter? I guess it's more important for some people to live in denial so that they can feel like they are doing someone a favor by getting a cheap TV. JEEZ.

[Odin2005]

19. People that do that insanity are morons and suckers!

[japple]

20. Fight back: join Adbusters annual Buy Nothing Day!

https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

[niyad]

27. I have supported that movement for years. there is NOTHING that could get me to stand

in line before dawn, freezing my ass off, for anything.

besides, as any good shopper knows, the best buys come on dec 26.

[Missy Vixen]

24. Remember Tickle Me Elmo?

Target used to give out a regular-sized plastic bag full of coupons and product samples to those who waited in line for their Black Friday event. We used the stuff for the entire year (example: Full-sized store brand bag of cotton balls, toothpaste, pain reliever, etcetera,) so it was a great deal.

We got the last Tickle Me Elmo at the Black Friday sale at Target that year, and both of us had the box in a death grip to even get to the cash register. While we waited in line to pay for the toy, people in line were offering over face value if we'd sell them the toy before we even went through the checkstand.

My husband was afraid we'd be assaulted in the parking lot to get the toy before we even got to the car.

We made it out. We haven't been to Black Friday since.

[diane in sf]

25. I buy stuff (especially electronics) in january after the holidays--best prices ever.

[LeftyMom]

29. Most of my Christmas shopping consists of taking my son to Game Stop on the day after.

They usually run a buy 2, get 1 sale, and he takes his giftmas money and gets what he wants.

He usually gets some Lego sets and board games to open on Christmas, I grab them through the year when I see good deals and stick them up in the closet.

[lynne]

26. Bah-Humbug! I LOVE black Friday and have saved a bundle over the years -

- sometimes I get the doorbusters, sometimes I'm too late. That's part of the adventure and everyone knows the rules. The doorbusters are only a small part of what's on discount and usually isn't what I'm in the market for as they tend to be big ticket items.

I look forward to Black Friday like a hunter looks forward to the opening day of deer season. I'm glad when others don't participate - less of a crowd for me to wade through!