Black Friday Planning: A Consumer's Checklist to Avoid Impulse Buys

At a glance: Black Friday brings heavy discounts but also strong marketing. Prepare now with a checklist that helps you spot true savings, avoid scams, and get warranty-backed purchases.

Pre-Black Friday preparation

List the items you really need. Research current prices and set target prices for each. Sign up for retailer newsletters and price trackers to get pre-release deals and alerts.

Verify the discount

Use historical price data to ensure a discount is genuine. Some retailers inflate the base price to make discounts seem larger. Price trackers and third-party archives can help verify claims.

Check warranty and returns

Big discounts shouldn’t void your protections. Confirm the warranty and returns policy and ensure the seller has a local UK presence for easier claims handling.

Be wary of bundles and subscriptions

Often retailers bundle hardware with subscriptions to improve margins. Make sure the bundle delivers real value—especially if the subscription auto-renews at a higher price.

Buy with a calm head

• Set a spending limit for the event.
• Use saved wish lists to prioritise.
• Avoid deals that require immediate add-ons to be valuable.

Security considerations

Only use trusted payment methods. Avoid sellers with no clear contact details and always check reviews from independent sites before purchasing a high-ticket item.

Last-minute tips

Load account and payment details into official retailer accounts ahead of time, but don’t save CVV codes in browsers. Keep an eye on stock countdowns and be prepared to wait a few hours—deals often refresh across the day.

After purchase

Save confirmation emails, track delivery tightly and test goods immediately on arrival to ensure you can return within windows if needed.

Conclusion: With planning, Black Friday can be a great time to buy must-have items at significant discounts—just don’t let marketing rush you into choices you’ll regret.