Shopping Tips
Accounts: update your store accounts -- username, password, email address, delivery address, and phone number. 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.
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.
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. Unfortunately, this will mean a call to your credit card company to have the block removed. The major 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. YMMV
Credit/Debit Card Discounts: many credit/debit cards offer price protection, theft protection, and double the warranty on items purchased for up to an additional year. Some also increase the amount you get back from select stores from 1% to 5% for the last quarter. Check your cards to see what additional benefits and discounts they may offer.
Discount Programs: these discounts and rewards are usually stackable, so you have a chance to save quite a bit if you take the time to seek each one out.
Doorbusters: these sales may contain doorbusters that may or may not be repeated during a later sale. So if you see something you want, go ahead and get it. If by some chance the price drops later on and the store won't make a price adjustment, you can always return it and re-purchase it. Return policies are usually extended over the holidays so you should be good.
Purchasing: some items may have earlier access times for members of their rewards programs. Additionally, some items may be in-store or online only and may have different start dates and times.
Returns: return policies are generally extended over the holidays allowing purchases as early as October to be returned sometime in January. As usual, restrictions apply.
Shipping: most stores offer free shipping either with minimum purchases or through rewards programs. Some stores also offer free shipping in both directions - delivery & returns - something to consider if the item you want is available at multiple stores.
Store Credit: some of these deals involve a gift card/store credit. You buy an item at a set price and get a free gift card/store credit for later use at that store. Of course, this only works if it's at a store you routinely shop at because it's easy to spend the gift card/store credit on items you would normally purchase anyway. If it's at a store you rarely shop at, then these gift card/store credit offers are false savings because you're forced into spending them on something you may not want before they expire. Take that into consideration before making a purchase.
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