The last Friday of November has been established as Black Friday, a day celebrated with discounts for consumers. As such, like every year, businesses are preparing for their sales, which will officially be announced on November 29.

Black Friday is the unofficial name of the day following Thanksgiving in the United States, which is the fourth Friday of November (between November 24 and 30). This day has been considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the U.S. since 1952.

Most large retail businesses open very early and offer significant discounts. Black Friday has been the highest-grossing sales day of the year in the United States since 2005, although earlier, inaccurate reports had described it as such for much longer.

Three days later, on December 2, Cyber Monday arrives—a retailer initiative to increase online sales revenue.

Black Friday also presents an opportunity for scammers who exploit consumers’ desire for numerous and great deals. Even if you come across terms like "cheap" or "deal," don’t immediately assume it’s a genuine opportunity. Experience shows that when prices are extremely low or significantly lower than usual, the goods may be counterfeit or defective. Research ahead of time so you can identify fake offers before making purchases.

While large retail chains frequently update their return policies to benefit consumers, smaller businesses may be less flexible. Carefully read the terms of use on the website before making a purchase, or inquire about the store’s return policy when shopping in physical stores.

Do you really need the product you saw in the shop window or online? Could your total spending derail your budget? Black Friday excites consumers so much that they often make unnecessary purchases out of fear they’ll miss out on the offers! Remember, despite the tempting promotions that stores may promise for Black Friday, as the holiday season progresses, new goods and discounts will come back to the market!

The best deals don’t always come from large online retailers. Small online businesses can also offer great shopping opportunities. However, when dealing with a newly established or unknown business, exercise caution to avoid losing money. If critical identifying details are missing, such as the company name, postal address, contact numbers, email, or tax ID, it’s better to avoid purchasing until you verify the business's reputation online.

Even when shopping from a trusted website, check all the transaction details: price, warranty, shipping cost, availability, or delivery time. These are crucial factors in making your final choice. However, sometimes pop-up banners might display offers unrelated to those provided by the supplier and may ask for banking or login details to complete a transaction. In such cases, contact both the business and your bank to confirm the authenticity of the messages. Avoid offers appearing in pop-ups from unknown websites.

If you plan to use a credit or debit card, review the terms and related emails carefully. Avoid proceeding with a transaction if you’re asked to install software to claim a deal.

Check the advertising flyers, social media promotions, and newsletters from stores for the prices of products you’re interested in. Gather this information several days before Black Friday to have a reference point for the final offered price and verify whether you’re truly getting a good deal.

If you have discount coupons or gift cards, confirm whether the products you’re interested in will be available on Black Friday and whether the businesses you’re considering accept these coupons and do not exclude them from the discounts.

If you plan to shop online, use your personal devices with installed malware protection (antivirus) and a firewall. When entering transaction details, ensure encryption is enabled. You can identify this by the closed padlock icon in the browser’s address bar and the “https://” at the beginning of the web address.

If the business fails to deliver the product on time, remember that transactions made with debit or credit cards offer significant consumer safeguards in case of cancellation. On the contrary, payment via bank deposit to the supplier should be avoided.