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tubemonkey · 10-04-2015, 11:17 AM

Shopping Tips

make sure all account information is up-to-date at the stores you plan to shop at
smart monkeys do their Black Friday shopping online
download leaked ads as soon as possible - stores have ordered blogs to take down the ads
free gift cards only have value if they're from stores you normally shop at
wear a football uniform if you plan on shopping at Walmart
always get the one with the bigger gee bees

Important Account Information

Go through all of the online store accounts you currently have and update them now. Personal information changes over time and you may have neglected to make those changes; especially at stores you only order from during Black Friday. For stores you plan on shopping at that you don't have accounts with, set up those accounts now. You won't have time to do so once the deals go live.

login - can you still do so? if not, update your username and password
email - make sure your email address is current, because this is the address they send order confirmations and other correspondence to
address - make sure your home, shipping, and billing addresses are current
phone - make sure your phone numbers are current
stores - make a list of all store phone numbers in case you need to complete purchases over the phone because of computer or website problems

Credit Cards

For each store you plan on shopping at, make sure the credit card, account number, expiration date, 3-digit security code, billing address, and home phone number are accurately entered.

When shopping online, have all credit cards you'll be using in front of you because:

you may have to re-enter your credit card info if there's a glitch in the store's website
you may have to complete your order over the phone if the store's website goes down
you may have to complete your order over the phone if you have computer problems
you may have to call the credit card company if a purchase gets blocked

Remember - when shopping online during Black Friday doorbusters, every second counts. If you have to scramble to hunt down your credit card you may lose your deal.

Credit Card Blocks

Be prepared to have an order declined because your credit card company detects unusual activity. This frequently happens when you place several high value orders at multiple stores in a short period of time. It happened to me two years ago when I placed two back-to-back orders for iPad minis. My credit card company blocked the second purchase. I had to call to get the block removed.

You can head off possible blocks by calling your credit card company ahead of time and informing them of your plans for high credit card activity during Black Friday weekend. Some companies will flag your account so none of your purchases get blocked. YMMV.

The only downside to a card block is the possibility of a lost deal. Not likely if the item is still in your cart, but a possibility nevertheless. Again, YMMV.
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10-04-2015, 11:17 AM	#12
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,767 Karma: 158733736 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	Shopping Tips make sure all account information is up-to-date at the stores you plan to shop at smart monkeys do their Black Friday shopping online download leaked ads as soon as possible - stores have ordered blogs to take down the ads free gift cards only have value if they're from stores you normally shop at wear a football uniform if you plan on shopping at Walmart always get the one with the bigger gee bees Important Account Information Go through all of the online store accounts you currently have and update them now. Personal information changes over time and you may have neglected to make those changes; especially at stores you only order from during Black Friday. For stores you plan on shopping at that you don't have accounts with, set up those accounts now. You won't have time to do so once the deals go live. login - can you still do so? if not, update your username and password email - make sure your email address is current, because this is the address they send order confirmations and other correspondence to address - make sure your home, shipping, and billing addresses are current phone - make sure your phone numbers are current stores - make a list of all store phone numbers in case you need to complete purchases over the phone because of computer or website problems Credit Cards For each store you plan on shopping at, make sure the credit card, account number, expiration date, 3-digit security code, billing address, and home phone number are accurately entered. When shopping online, have all credit cards you'll be using in front of you because: you may have to re-enter your credit card info if there's a glitch in the store's website you may have to complete your order over the phone if the store's website goes down you may have to complete your order over the phone if you have computer problems you may have to call the credit card company if a purchase gets blocked Remember - when shopping online during Black Friday doorbusters, every second counts. If you have to scramble to hunt down your credit card you may lose your deal. Credit Card Blocks Be prepared to have an order declined because your credit card company detects unusual activity. This frequently happens when you place several high value orders at multiple stores in a short period of time. It happened to me two years ago when I placed two back-to-back orders for iPad minis. My credit card company blocked the second purchase. I had to call to get the block removed. You can head off possible blocks by calling your credit card company ahead of time and informing them of your plans for high credit card activity during Black Friday weekend. Some companies will flag your account so none of your purchases get blocked. YMMV. The only downside to a card block is the possibility of a lost deal. Not likely if the item is still in your cart, but a possibility nevertheless. Again, YMMV. . Last edited by tubemonkey; 10-30-2015 at 03:20 AM.