Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Black Friday - bargains or bull?

What's hot & what's not at Amazon, Apple, Argos, AO and Asos (and we haven't even got to the Bs yet)

A word from Martin: "Sadly, this Black Friday the huge majority of UK stores will be shut, so for most it'll be an online fest. And while it can be marketing hype, strong discounts are likely as stores desperately need to shift unsold stock.

"So if you've planned purchases, this can be the cheapest time before Christmas to buy. Yet while a £50 video game reduced to £25 is a saving if you'd have bought it anyway, it's an extra cost if it was the discount that triggered the desire. My Money Mantras can help keep impulses in check. There are a few versions, but in a nutshell, ask yourself...

"Each year I campaign to 'ban' unnecessary Christmas presents to help the environment, reduce cost and stress. That holds true this year too, but I'm mindful of the nightmare many retailers, especially small retailers, are in - and the impact on our economy. So if you want them to stay open, it's best to use them so we don't lose them (and hopefully Amex will again do its £5 off £10+ spends Shop Small promo to help).

"So while below we talk about the big chains, as we just can't practicably list independents, please don't think they're always the best buys. I'm signing off this email here, leaving the rest of it in the talented hands of the MSE team, as I prepare for my Tue night live Christmas / Black Friday ITV special."

Retailers have stretched the 'Black Friday' label from a weekend to a week and lots of big sales are already on now, though we reckon some are saving their best ammo for Fri.

All the corking deals we spot are on our Black Friday deals page, but brief highlights of bargains available now include:

• Amazon - it's pumping out 1,000s of deals, eg, £40 Echo Dot (third gen) for £19. Deals are available across most of its departments, but within each department the selection appears random. From our analysis, electronic deals are the standouts and include the £19 Echo Dot, £229 Ring doorbell for £149 and £65 Babyliss hair straighteners for £26. Some last till Mon, some for a day, and others just a few hours. See Amazon Black Friday analysis for what's hot and what's not.
  
  Until Mon it also has 30% off much of its already cheap Amazon Warehouse stock, eg, a £129 Fitbit Charge 3 for £49. Its warehouse tends to sell returned or open box items at already reduced prices and can be a bargain hunter's dream.  
  
  
• Everything5pounds site-wide 5% off code gets £4.75 Next, New Look, Topshop etc clothes, shoes & bags. MSE Blagged. The site sells surplus stock - some of it from big high-street brands - all for a fiver, and our code gets it even cheaper till Mon. Delivery's £5. See Everything5pounds. It's not specifically a Black Friday deal but it's site-wide and while prices could drop further on Friday, any subsequent sale is unlikely to be on everything.
  
  
• Moss Bros 30% off almost everything, eg, £399 Ted Baker suit reduced to £118. It's already doing 25% off almost everything, incl sale items, but a special code increases that to 30% off till 11.59pm today (Wed). See how to get 30% off Moss Bros.
  
  
• AO discounts on 100s of items, eg, £80 Amazon Echo Show 5 for £39 (slightly cheaper than at Amazon). It's picking and choosing which deals to discount, largely by price-matching, so while there are plenty of good deals, they're more likely to be joint-cheapest than cheapest. See AO deals.
  
  
• La Redoute up to 40% off selected items, eg, £90 Levi's jeans for £67.50. Not as strong as its usual flat 40% off, but we've spotted deals on Dr Martens, Adidas, Ugg and more. See La Redoute Black Friday.
  
  
• John Lewis 100s of discounts across electrical, home & more - eg, £149 Nespresso coffee maker for £74. It started its sale early this year, but we think it's likely to add more deals on Fri. See John Lewis Black Friday.
  
  
• Google smart home device deals, eg, £49 Nest Mini for £19 and £219 Nest Hub Max for £169. Not just from Google itself, but we've rounded up the best offers. See cheapest Google smart speakers.
  
  
• Buyagift 26% off code, works on already discounted 'up to 60% off' sale items too. MSE Blagged. It's the biggest site-wide discount code it offers, plus it works on 'up to 60% off' sale items too. The code's avail to all from Thu, but we've blagged early access.

See the full list on our Black Friday deals page, also incl Gap 50% off till Sat, and Currys PC World, which is already discounting selected items and will likely add more on Fri.

On our main Black Friday deals page, we also have details of deals which aren't yet on. We know a few great deals are launching on Fri, and our Deals Hunters have gazed into their crystal balls and predicted a few more...

• CONFIRMED: 'Free' Apple gift card with big purchase. The tech giant will offer an up to £120 Apple Store gift card when buying selected products from it between Fri & Mon.
  
  
• CONFIRMED: ShopDisney 20% off 1,000+ items. Last year, it offered this on 1,000s of items online, but excluded Frozen and Star Wars, and while we don't have full info yet they'll probably be excluded again. It starts on Fri, and is an automatic discount rather than a code.
  
  
• PREDICTED: Asos up to 70% off everything. Last year, it changed from its usual 20% off Black Friday offering to up to 70% off. Like previous years, we expect it to start on Thu.
  
  
• PREDICTED: Boots up to 50% off selected items. Last year, it offered deals on fragrance, make-up and electricals, and we reckon it'll ramp these up through this week with most on from Fri to Mon.
  
  
• PREDICTED: Benefit 20% off most items. Last year, the make-up and skincare brand offered this discount on almost all full-priced items, so we reckon it'll do the same again from Fri.
  
  
• PREDICTED: Nike 30% off sale items. For the last few years, Nike has offered 30% off already reduced women's, men's & kids' sale items online via a code. We're predicting this'll start today (Wed).

And while deals land all week, Fri's the big one when our Deals Hunters will keep track from 7am to help you find what's hot and what's not (so please excuse our tired eyes).

Bookmark our Black Friday analysis, plus our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Not everything with a Black Friday label's a corker - and some so-called 'offers' are just outright scams. So to help you separate the deals from the duds, and to keep safe online, we've a few top tips:

• Beware the duds. Retailers are desperate to sell, sell, sell, so many try to flog almost anything with a 'Black Friday' label. But there are dodgy 'deals' galore, eg, we found a Fire 7 tablet 'deal' at Amazon that was cheaper last month, and a Huda eyeshadow palette at Selfridges which is £12 cheaper elsewhere.
  
  
• Compare prices between shops AND with past sale prices. So you can see how much of a discount (if any) you're really getting.
  
  - Use free online tools to compare prices. Sites include Google Shopping and Price Runner - but as these might favour some retailers, also check stores directly. See Cheap Online Shopping.
  - Check what it's sold for in the past. Online tools such as CamelCamelCamel (for Amazon) and PriceSpy (for multiple retailers) track the price of products over time.
  - Can you get cashback to cut the cost? Once you know where's cheapest, check cashback sites for further savings.
  - Consider more than the price. Often big retailers price-match each other, so see what else they're offering, eg, additional warranties, music streaming and TV subscriptions.
  
  
• Don't be fooled by bogus reviews. Usually the only way to spot falsely flattering reviews is to trust your gut, but there's a nifty free tool to help detect 'fake' reviews. While not definitive, it can help.
  
  
• Keep an eye out for scams. Ask yourself: "Is this deal too good to be true?" If the answer's yes, then it might well be the case. Check web addresses look legit, look for spelling mistakes (a big tell-tale) and check independent reviews, especially if it's a site you've never heard of. Our How to Spot Scams tips will help you stay vigilant.
  
  
• Tool up on your refund rights. If you wake up the next day with a retail hangover and think "why did I buy that?" or you've been sent the wrong item or it's faulty, you often have rights, especially if you bought online. Our Consumer Rights guide has full help.
  
  
• Credit cards give more protection. Pay just 1p on a credit card for goods costing £100+, and the card company's jointly liable with the retailer for the WHOLE amount. See Section 75 protection.
  
  - Spending less than £100 or on a debit card? You can still claim for faulty or undelivered goods under chargeback.

Martin: "It's likely you're reading this not long after I've finished Tue's Christmas (planning) special. Yet it's a BOGOF on my shows this week, as the normal show is on Thu too. Exactly what's in it will depend on what the Chancellor announces in his spending review on Wed. Yet I'll definitely cover the NS&I rate cut to 0.01% and self-employment grants. As for what else... well, you'll need to watch to find out.

"And of course, as it's live you can tweet suggested questions to @MartinSLewis, but you must use the show's hashtag #MartinLewis. Do tune in or set the Betamax."