How to spot good (and bad) Black Friday offers

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As a consumer journalist and keen bargain-hunter, I know a thing or two about spotting a deal

Many people have been waiting until Black Friday to buy toys, electronics, clothes and more. As a consumer journalist, I can tell you it’s the best time of year to score deals on a whole range of products, from Apple tech to vacuum cleaners, provided that you have the right know-how.

Now that sales from most major retailers have launched, I'm here to bring you my top tips to help you make the most of the deals on offer. There’s a fine line between making a genuine saving and spending frivolously – no judgement, we’ve all done it – so it’s worth remembering that when you buy an item that’s on sale, you’re only saving money if you were going to buy it anyway.

While keeping that general principle in mind, there are lots of ways to come out of the sales season feeling financially savvy, rather than stressed and regretful. From working out a good deal from a rubbish one to advice on 'buy now, pay later' schemes, keep scrolling for everything you need to know. You can also check out IndyBest's Black Friday guides for all the latest bargains as they drop.

Follow live: Latest offers and news in our Black Friday 2025 liveblog

1. Sales start before Black Friday

Like Christmas, Black Friday starts earlier and earlier every year. Despite the big day not until the end of the month, tons of retailers have launched early sales, including the likes of John Lewis, Argos and AO. You can check my Black Friday dates tracker to find out which sales are live now, as well as upcoming dates for your diary.

The IndyBest team and I are constantly monitoring prices from top retailers, and are busy rounding up the early Black Friday air fryer deals, beauty deals, tech deals, furniture deals and much more.

2. Make a wish list

The key to avoiding overspending on Black Friday is to make a list of the things you want and stick to it. Going into the sales unprepared can leave you distracted and starry-eyed at the myriad of products on offer, but ultimately, it’s only a saving if you were going to buy it anyway.

As well as listing what you’re going to buy, I would also suggest jotting down the price, date and retailer (though you’ll want to shop around – more on that later). That way, you’ll be able to compare the cost of an item on Black Friday to see if it really is a bargain, and avoid getting misled by the little red discount tag next to the price.

3. Check that a deal is as good as it seems

Many Black Friday deals aren’t as incredible as the retailer wants you to think – and yes, this includes big-name stores, too.

There are two main tricks that retailers can use to make a discount seem better than it is. One of them is to increase the price ahead of Black Friday. For example, if the price is £30 all year, they may hike it to £50 in early November, and then lower it to £45 on Black Friday. At first glance, it looks like you’re saving £20, when really you’re only saving £5.

A way to avoid falling victim to this is to track prices. Sites like camelcamelcamel (for Amazon) and PriceRunner (for most other retailers) will do the hard work for you: just paste in the link to the product and you’ll be able to see when and by how much the price has changed.

Another word of advice: be wary of the red percentage figure next to the price. Understandably, you may assume this will show how much the price has changed. However, this discount is often measured against the RRP (recommended retail price), which may be far higher than what the item is usually sold for. Again, price tracking websites are your friends here, as you can check how much a product actually costs when it’s not on sale.

4. Consider signing up for membership schemes

Certain membership schemes can make shopping on Black Friday more worthwhile – namely, Amazon Prime, a Costco membership and AO’s five-star membership.

While you don’t need Amazon Prime to shop the discounts during Black Friday, the retailer sometimes runs invite-only deals exclusively for Prime members during the event. You’ll also unlock access to other perks such as Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music and more. Amazon Prime offers a 30-day free trial, after which it costs £8.99 per month or £95 per year.  

AO’s five-star membership program is also one to consider. For £39.99 a year, you can unlock exclusive member savings. I’ve seen some tech savings that are bigger than the cost of the membership, so it may be worth it even for a one-off purchase. You’ll also get free delivery, it’ll recycle your old appliance and a 100-day return period.

5. Always shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal

So, you’ve found a good deal. Now, you’re going to want to make sure that it’s the best deal out there.

First, I would suggest doing a quick online search to check if the same product is being sold for the same price or cheaper elsewhere. Then, I would also check price comparison websites such as PriceRunner and PriceSpy. If the price is the same at other retailers, I might consider shopping at the other retailer if it offers better perks, such as free delivery or a longer warranty.

For example, Currys is currently offering its lowest ever price on a Ninja detect duo power blender (£148.99). But when I pop the item's name into Price Runner, I can see that it's being sold for more or less the same price at Amazon, AO, John Lewis and Very – so it’s worth considering if there are any extra benefits to shopping at one retailer over another, such as free delivery.

It’s worth mentioning that in all of our Black Friday guides, we’ll have done this work for you, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best deals around.

6. Keep an eye on retailers who price match

Stuck between two retailers? One may have a lower price, but the other may have a longer warranty period, better customer service or more flexible delivery. In which case, it’s worth checking if it will price match.

Plenty of retailers will price match (such as AO, Boots, John Lewis, Currys, eBay and more), but they all have different terms and conditions. For example, many don’t price match against Amazon; some only price match if there’s a physical store, and some only price match if the product has the exact same guarantee and warranty details.

It can all get a little technical, so make sure you understand the process of your chosen retailer fully before making a decision.

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7. Use cashback sites

Using cashback sites like TopCashback and Quidco is an easy way to make your money go further during sales season. Essentially, these sites will pay you to shop through them – for example, when you shop at Boots via TopCashback, you can currently get 20 per cent of your spend back.

Sign up to TopCashback or Quidco and download their browser extensions. That way, you’ll see a pop up letting you know what you can earn cashback on. Click through and the cashback should be credited to your account – though there can sometimes be issues, so you should see this as a bonus and not a guarantee.

8. If you have one, use a credit card for purchases over £100

When buying a single item that costs more than £100 but less than £30,000, you have additional protections when you use a credit card under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. What this means is that if something goes wrong, such as your purchase being faulty or not arriving, your credit card provider is jointly responsible and could give you your money back.

It’s a good rule of thumb, during Black Friday and in general, to use a credit card when buying big-ticket items. If you use a debit card, you may still be able to get your money back if something goes wrong by filing a chargeback claim, but section 75 is a legal protection, so it’s far stronger.

Remember, if you use a credit card, you should always repay it in full every month to avoid interest charges.

9. Watch out for scams

Many of us feel like we're constantly bombarded by scams these days, particularly online. So it's important to be vigilant during big sales events such as Black Friday, as fraudsters look to take advantage of the millions of people flocking to shop online.

I’ve written about how to spot scams (and what to do if you have been scammed) for years, helping you avoid losing money or giving away your personal information. Here’s my best advice in a nutshell: don’t rush into any purchase; be wary of any deals that seem too good to be true, and be very sceptical about promotions that you receive in your inbox. That last one’s a little tricky, as, of course, reputable brands will send you emails about their Black Friday sales, but make sure you check for spelling mistakes and suspicious-looking email addresses. If in doubt, always navigate to the retailer’s website yourself rather than clicking any links in emails.

If you do fall victim to a scam, immediately end all communications with the fraudster and contact your bank to cancel any payments. You can dial 159 to get in direct contact with your bank. I would also suggest reporting the scam to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

10. Avoid no-name brands

On a similar note to the one above, some online marketplaces are chock-full of no-name brands that churn out poorly made products. The IndyBest team and I will never feature these, and we strongly recommend that you avoid, avoid, avoid. Again, if the deal looks too good to be true and the price tag is jaw-droppingly low, it’s probably not worth buying.

Keep an eye on IndyBest’s range of Black Friday guides for genuinely good deals from reputable brands. We’ve reviewed hundreds of products and only highlight deals from brands we trust.

11. Be wary of ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes

You may be aware of 'buy now, pay later' (BNPL) schemes such as Klarna and Clearpay, as these interest and fee-free payment methods are available to use at many major retailers.

While I wouldn’t necessarily say you need to avoid BNPL schemes altogether, you should be careful. The widespread availability of these schemes can tempt consumers to buy things they can’t really afford or don’t need.

So before you use BNPL to shop in the Black Friday sales, ask yourself whether you would still make the same purchase if you weren’t using credit, and make sure you’ll have the money available to pay off the spend when required.

12. Check out our Black Friday coverage

On that note, check out our guides on the best Black Friday deals. We also have a liveblog where we’re bringing you the best deals as and when they drop.

But it’s not just during Black Friday that we’re finding genuinely good savings on our favourite tried and tested products. Our dedicated deals page has the latest discount codes as well as money-saving tips and tricks to help you save during the sales season and beyond. Our expert deals team source the best discount codes, including exclusive codes that you’ll only find on The Independent from the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Goldsmiths, Lookfantastic and more.

Save on popular tech with our round-up of the best Apple Black Friday deals

More about

1. 1. Sales start before Black Friday
2. 2. Make a wish list
3. 3. Check that a deal is as good as it seems
4. 4. Consider signing up for membership schemes
5. 5. Always shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal
6. 6. Keep an eye on retailers who price match
7. 7. Use cashback sites
8. 8. If you have one, use a credit card for purchases over £100
9. 9. Watch out for scams
10. 10. Avoid no-name brands
11. 11. Be wary of ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes
12. 12. Check out our Black Friday coverage