Current Events in November 2022

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have been officially crossed off the consumer’s calendar, but the shelves aren’t as empty as some retailers might like them to be. So, what does a retailer do in a situation like this? Mark down more stuff!

As to what prices are coming down, what prices are going up, and what to wait another month or so to buy, consider that research done. Here's what ConsumerAffairs found:

Where prices are coming down

The best deals that Bankrate’s Sarah Foster said she found are smartphones – down in price by 22.9%. And if you’re looking for a combo deal, Cricket Wireless has one for value-conscious holiday shoppers.

Customers who bring their number to Cricket can get iPhone SE (2nd Generation) 64GB for $0 when they activate a new line on the $60/month unlimited plan. There’s some requisite fine print with the deal, but it may be worth looking into.

Electronics aren’t a Black Friday staple like they used to be, so there are good deals there as well -- televisions (-16.5%) as well as computers and devices (-3.1%).

There’s also one more big-time sales day – Green Monday. DealNews reports that on December 12, retailers are expected to offer discounts ranging from 20% to 60% off. Categories on sale will include electronics, home improvement, and clothing. 

“Of course, since eBay basically invented Green Monday, you won't want to miss their sale. Last year, they discounted apparel, tools, headphones, holiday gifts, and other items during their event,” Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with DealNews, said.

Neither Lowe’s nor Home Depot are showing their Green Monday cards yet but Ramhold said if those two go the same route as they did in 2021, there could be a 10% increase in the number of tool deals overall.

If you’re a bargain hunter, you can forget traveling, bedding, lingerie, and exercise equipment – at least for a while

Travel? Not a good deal right now. Bankrate says airfare is up 42.9% as well as other forms of transportation and the gas it takes to get there, too. In addition, the price of staying overnight could add up, with hotel stays up 6.4% compared to last year.

That could translate into some big bucks. When travel insurer SquareMouth added travel costs together, it found that the average two-week vacation is now around $6,784 – 57% higher than the average trip cost as of Fall 2022 and 28% higher than the Summer 2022 average. 

However, as Bankrate analyst Sarah Foster told ConsumerAffairs, there is one way that consumers could save some money on travel – points!

“Consumers are often sitting on a stockpile of credit card rewards —'free' money that can only be put to use if it is, in fact, used,” she said.

Foster recommends utilizing any credit card rewards points to fund some of that travel.

While it expects some clothing deals on Green Tuesday, DealNews says that shoppers looking for winter clothing should wait until January or February when retailers have got more wooly, warm’y stuff on their racks than they’d like. 

Traditionally, January is also a good time to buy bedding, and because of the influx of health-related resolutions, there’s a decent amount of deals on exercise equipment and gym memberships in January.

And those whose tastes run to the intimate and frilly might want to wait until the end of December. That’s when the Victoria's Secret Sale goes live. It’s expected to run for at least a couple of weeks into January.

Home mortgage rates, whose meteoric rise earlier this year brought the housing market to a standstill, have begun to fall.

In its weekly update the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports the average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.49% this week, down from 6.67% the previous week. The rate is below 6.5% for the first time in months.

But is it enough to revive home sales? Probably not yet, though mortgage applications for a home purchase rose 4% from the previous week. But compared to the same week in 2021, applications were down 41%.

 “The economy here and abroad is weakening, which should lead to slower inflation and allow the Fed to slow the pace of rate hikes,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist. “Purchase activity increased slightly after adjusting for the Thanksgiving holiday, but the decline in rates was still not enough to bring back refinance activity. Refinance applications fell another 13%, and the refinance share of applications was at 26%. Both measures were at their lowest levels since 2000.”

Low rates led to record-high home prices

Record-low mortgage rates a year ago – and near record-low rates over the previous five years – led to the record rise in home prices. With a 2.9% mortgage rate, many buyers could afford a $500,000 home. When the mortgage rate hit 7%, many fewer could.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports home affordability fell in September as the monthly mortgage payment climbed 57.8% and median family income rose by 3.9%. According to NAR, a mortgage is affordable if the mortgage payment – principal and interest – amounts to 25% or less of the family's income.

While the slow pace of home buying has started to bring down home prices, Business Insider predicts it won’t do much to improve affordability in 2023. Even if there is a 20% decline in home prices, buyers would still face steep monthly payments as long as mortgage rates remain at present levels.

Buyers need a big drop in mortgage rates

If a $500,000 home falls to $400,000, the principal and interest payment at 6.5%, with 20% down, is $2,023 – and that doesn’t include taxes and insurance. 

If the rate declines to 5.5%, buying the same home would cost $1,817 a month. Lowering the rate to 4.5% would produce a monthly payment of $1,621. That may be the interest rate at which affordability sharply improves.

That said, many real estate professionals say dramatic decreases in both home prices and interest rates simply aren’t in the cards next year. Realtor.com predicts mortgage rates will average over 7% for all of 2023 and home prices, instead of falling 20%, may go up slightly because of the shortage of homes for sale.

“It’s going to be a tough year for homebuyers, home sellers, and the overall housing market,” said Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. But “we’re going to take some steps toward a better balance between buyers and sellers.”

It’s not exactly a great time to be shopping for a new or used car but consumers who are planning on making a purchase are likely making fuel economy the primary factor in making their purchase.

But is there another, perhaps overlooked consideration? How about longevity? Purchasing a vehicle your can own for years and drive for well over 200,000 miles may also be a good reason to buy.

Researchers at iSeeCars.com, an automotive research firm and car search engine, analyzed over two million cars produced and sold for at least 10 of the past 20 model years. The researchers ranked each model by its highest mileage-achieving cars. 

The study found that many of the 20 models could run for 200,000 miles but some provided even greater durability, racking up more than 250,000 miles. At least 1% of currently registered Toyota Sequoias have at least 296,509 miles on the odometer.

“What we see is a list of highly-durable vehicles, capable of more than a quarter-million miles of use if properly maintained,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “And to be clear, this study isn’t reporting the maximum lifespan of these vehicles. This is simply a measure of current odometer readings. Most of these cars are still in use and going strong.”

Toyota is first and second

Toyota dominates the list, with the Sequoia and Land Cruiser logging more than 280,000 miles and holding down the first two spots. 

The Chevrolet Suburban is third at 265,732 miles on the odometer. The Toyota Tundra is fourth with the GMC Yukon XL in fifth place with 252,360 miles.

What the top five all have in common is they are big, rugged trucks or SUVs. Fuel economy is not their strong suit.

But a small, fuel-efficient sedan also makes this list. The Toyota Prius, a hybrid, is in sixth place credited with an average of 250,601 miles. The only other sedan to make the list is the Toyota Camry Hybrid, in 20th place, with an average of 230,547 miles.

In fact, three-row SUVs make up half of the list, showing that many of these vehicles that were purchased years ago, when gasoline was much cheaper, are still delivering for their owners. Brauer says the typical lifespan of the Toyota Sequoia is particularly impressive.

“The Land Cruiser has a proven track record of durability, but its aging platform has been eclipsed by the modern and refined Sequoia, as reflected in the heavier use and higher mileage achieved by Toyota’s newer SUV,” Brauer said.

When it comes to pickup trucks, the clear winner is the Toyota Tundra. Rounding out the top five in terms of durability are the Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Titan, and the Ford F-150.

There’s potentially good news for chicken lovers. Prices for chicken breasts across the country have plunged nearly 70% since early June, according to market research firm Urner Barry.

Consumers can only hope the restaurants that have raised prices on chicken items will reverse course on price-jacking and give some of that 70% price drop back to the consumer.

The parts of chickens that American consumers love most – wings and tenders -- have gotten cheaper, too, and poultry producers have moved production into high gear, Urner Barry said, quoting chicken industry analysts and executives.

Popeye’s, Wingstop, Wendy’s, and Burger King are all over the opportunity, rolling out new chicken sandwiches and wing deals trying to get consumers looking for food that’s a match for their ever-shrinking wallet.

Wendy’s is adding a new Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich to its winter menu, Popeye’s is offering a new blackened chicken sandwich, and Burger King is putting an Italian version on its menu board.

So why have chicken prices suddenly reversed? According to Tyson Food, more active roosters in the henhouse have literally made the difference.

Eggs, however, aren’t rolling in the same direction

You would think that if the meat parts of a chicken go down in price, the rest of the chicken would follow. Wrong.

And if you heard somewhere that a dozen eggs would break the $12 price barrier, that’s wrong, too. That $12/doz. myth may have been debunked, but the forecast for egg prices still isn’t as rosy as you might expect.

Breaking down the egg conundrum for the grocery shopper, Trading Economics predicts that U.S. eggs are expected to trade at $4.28 a dozen by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 and at $5.39 in 12 months' time.

Even with all the recent “Big Tech” layoffs, it’s still a pretty good time to be looking for a job. Employers have plenty of openings.

But scammers have stepped up their efforts to victimize job seekers by offering jobs that aren’t real. They’re clever schemes to steal money, personal information, or both. Two scams, in particular, have come to our attention.

The first is a fake check scam designed to steal money. The scammer places an ad for a remote worker. 

Once the victim is “hired,” the scammer sends the new employee a large bank check with which to purchase supplies and equipment. The scammer says he isn’t sure what everything will cost so the employee is instructed to deposit the check in their personal bank account and send the scammer what’s left.

Since the check might have been for $5,000 and the equipment purchase totaled only $2,500, the employee sends $2,500 back to the scammer. But the victim has actually sent $2,500 of their own money to the scammer because the check they deposited was a fake. The bank accepted it but days later discovers the forgery and deducts the money from the victim’s account.

‘Security check’ is a way to steal information

A second job-related scam that appears to be increasing is simply after personal information. The job opening may be posted on a legitimate message board but the company doesn’t exist.

One job applicant posted on Reddit that he conducted a Zoom interview with the “employer” and a day later received the following message:

“Having reviewed our zoom call interview with you, we have come to a conclusion (sic) that you match our expectations and that we can move on to training you!

“However, first things first, we've got to sign a mutually binding agreement with you as well as run our mandatory security check on you to be fully confident in your integrity (before allowing access to sensitive information and our customer funds).”

Of course, that background check entailed gathering all sorts of sensitive personal information from the applicant, including Social Security number and sometimes even bank account information. That information is then sold to other scammers on the dark web.

Job applicants can protect themselves by carefully vetting any company that is offering a job. Use a search engine to check out any employer. Don’t rely on the first item in the search results because the scammer may have created a fake website for his fake company.

Also, be leery of any “employer” that offers to hire you without ever directly communicating face to face. If the interview and offer are all done through email, it’s a sign of a scam.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) thinks seven companies have gone too far in claiming that their dietary supplements can cure, treat, mitigate or prevent cardiovascular disease or related conditions, such as atherosclerosis, stroke or heart failure.

The FDA is making an all-out plea to consumers to stop using these – or similar products – because they haven’t been cleared by the agency as safe or effective for their intended use and may be harmful.

The warning letters were issued to: Essential Elements; Calroy Health Sciences; Iwi; BergaMet North America; Healthy Trends Worldwide (Golden After 50); Chambers' Apothecary; and Anabolic Laboratories. Those manufacturers market a variety of products tied to cardiovascular disease, et al, such as CoEnzyme Q10 and Cholesterol Command.

Dear sir, please stop what you’re doing… now

When ConsumerAffairs reviewed the letter sent to the various companies, it was clear that the FDA was nowhere near happy about how far those supplement producers had gone to convince the unaware consumer that their products were the end-all and be-all.

For example, in its letter to Healthy Trends Worldwide, the maker of Golden After 50 products, the company’s pitch of “That’s why we combined five science-backed ingredients from nature that address multiple factors to help regulate blood pressure” was labeled a false claim.

As was pushing its products’ agenda on YouTube videos where a spokesperson said that ingredients of its BP-5 formula “can lower your high blood pressure naturally and fast.”

“Your BPS-5 product is not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses and, therefore, this product is a “new drug” … [adding] “new drugs may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without prior approval from FDA. FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data and information demonstrating that the drug is safe and effective," the letter stated.

What’s so bad about dietary supplements, anyway?

The FDA isn’t criticizing dietary supplements in general. It feels that some can help a person improve their health or help meet the daily requirements of essential nutrients. What it’s unhappy about is that companies are promise-bombing the internet with unfounded claims.

“Given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., it’s important that the FDA protect the public from products and companies that make unlawful claims to treat it,” said Cara Welch, director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs in the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. 

And, yes, dietary supplements have to pass the approval of the agency just like a doctor-prescribed drug does.

Fortunately, the seven companies receiving those letters haven’t been served an order to shut down, but rather a request to address the agency’s concerns – what the proper dosage might be, how they could interact with FDA-approved drugs or other substances, or whether they have dangerous side effects or other safety concerns.

“Dietary supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent cardiovascular disease and related conditions could potentially harm consumers who use these products instead of seeking safe and effective FDA-approved treatments from qualified health care providers. We encourage consumers to remain vigilant when shopping online or in stores to avoid purchasing products that could put their health at risk,” Welch said.

For a complete list of FAQs and questions to ask physicians and pharmacists regarding dietary supplements, the FDA offers a consumer guide here.

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and for those mailing gifts across the country or overseas, it’s time to start thinking about the best time to do that. 

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has released its official deadline list for shipping gifts to ensure they make it to their intended recipients by Christmas Day. It also shared helpful information designed to make the shipping process easier for consumers, as well as projections for the busiest times of the season. 

For those who don’t want to trek to their local post office during the holiday season rush, there are now options to ship packages from home. The USPS website features the new Click-N-Ship app, that allows consumers to print shipping labels and ship boxes directly to their homes, and then schedule a free at-home package pickup. 

Holiday shipping deadlines

As the busiest time of year for the USPS kicks off, it’s important for consumers to know when to get their packages to the post office. Below is a list of suggested deadlines to ship packages to ensure they’re delivered in time for Christmas: 

• Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office (APO/FPO/DPO) (all ZIP codes) Priority and First-Class Mail: December 9 

• APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express Military Service: December 16 

• USPS Retail Ground Service: December 17 

• First-Class Mail Service (including greeting cards): December 17 

• First-Class Package Service (up to 15.99 ounces): December 17 

• Priority Mail Service: December 19 

• Priority Mail Express Service: December 22 

Alaska: 

• Alaska to/from Continental U.S. – USPS Retail Ground: December 2

• Alaska to/from Continental U.S. – First-Class Mail and Priority Mail: December 18 

• Alaska to/from Continental U.S. – Priority Mail Express: December 21

Hawaii: 

• Hawaii to/from mainland – First-Class and Priority Mail: December 17 

• Hawaii to/from mainland – Priority Mail Express: December 21

In some areas, there will also be the opportunity to pay for packages to be delivered via Priority Mail Express on Christmas Day. 

Shipping tips

Another important part of shipping packages at the post office is ensuring that your gift is properly packaged, labeled, and addressed – and doesn’t include any prohibited items. 

The USPS has broken down the whole process for consumers in how-to videos that cover everything from changing your address, labeling a package, and packing things safely.

Shipping costs and busiest season

In effect now through January 22, 2023, shipping materials are going to be more expensive than they usually are. However, consumers sending gifts overseas to military or diplomatic posts are eligible for discounts on shipping, including a $20.95 large Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. 

Based on traffic in years past, the USPS anticipates that crowds in post offices across the country are likely to start picking up starting as early as December 5. While the final two weeks before Christmas are likely to be hectic, the week of December 12 tends to be the busiest. 

The USPS has also increased its number of Sunday deliveries during the holiday season to help packages get to their final destination in time for the holidays. 

Results were mixed for the eleven cars that were put through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) new, tougher side-impact test.

The Mazda 3 sedan and Mazda 3 hatchback received good ratings, while five others -- the Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla sedan, Toyota Corolla hatchback, Honda Civic sedan and Honda Civic hatchback were acceptable.

Bad news for the Kia Forte, Subaru Crosstrek and the Subaru Impreza sedan and wagon: They were rated poor.

Interestingly, all 11 vehicles earned good ratings in the original side test.

New test more reflective of real-world conditions

“Smaller, lower vehicles are at a disadvantage when struck by the new test barrier, which is a more realistic representation of the front end of a typical modern SUV than our old barrier, “ said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Becky Mueller.

“Clearly, some manufacturers have already figured out how to provide sufficient protection in a crash like this even for occupants of small cars.”

“It’s encouraging to see so many small cars with passing grades in this new side test,” she added.

The updated test is not included in the IIHS award criteria at this point. However, starting in 2023, a good or acceptable rating will be required for the lower-tier TOP SAFETY PICK award and a good rating will be needed for the higher-tier TOP SAFETY PICK+.

The complete ratings for the eleven vehicles tested may be found here.

In most years, shopping for the most popular toys might present a challenge. But in spite of all the early sales, shoppers may find some of the most sought-after items may still on store shelves.

Just before Black Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that stores were overflowing with Barbies and Lego sets, the holiday season's perennial favorites.

New research from Premium Joy shows that Squishmallows, plush toys that were released in 2017, have apparently surpassed the popularity of several other more established toys like Hot Wheels and Nerf for this holiday season.

Data, based on Google search volumes and Google Trends for the past six months, show that Squishmallows are the most popular holiday toy in 21 states. Hot Wheels and Nerf are the favorite toys in only 10 and six states respectively.

"Each Squishmallow model comes with a unique personality, including a name and a background story, which makes these plush toys distinct and highly collectible," said Hassan Alnassir, founder and owner of Premium Joy. "Knowing that, I wouldn't be much surprised to hear that Squishmallows have become such a hit during the holiday season."

The Toy Insider breaks down the most popular toys in 2022 by age group:

• Infants and toddlers - Fisher-Price DJ Boouncin’ Beats; Level Up gaming chair

• Pre-school: Barbie Dreamhouse; Bluey Ultimate Lights and Sounds Playhouse

• Elementary school - Addison Rae, Delux Music Fashion Doll; Akeda Triple Strike Tag Team Arena

• Tweens - Airtitans Jurassic World Massive Attack T-Rex; LEGO Super Mario Adventures with peach starter course

Target has its own list of hot toys that start in price at $14.99. They include the Yahtzee Frenzy Dice & Card game; Kinetic Sand Swirl N' Surprise 2lb Playset; Cool Maker Stitch 'N Style Fashion Studio Sewing Machine toy.

Watch out for scams

In the event that merchants run low on the most popular toys, last-minute toy shoppers need to be aware of dangerous scams. A common trick is to post a fake ad for an in-demand and hard-to-find toy online at what seems like a heavily discounted price.

One consumer posted their experience on a scam-tracking website after they thought they were purchasing a popular Squishmallow for $40. They said they received the product in the mail but said it was counterfeit.

“There are no tags on it and it is of very poor quality,” the consumer reported. I have tried to use the email provided to request a return label and it is not a real email.”

Shoppers can avoid this experience by only shopping at known and trusted stores and online merchants. A discounted price on one of the season’s hot toys could indicate that the seller is not legitimate.

New research from cybersecurity company NordVPN shows that cyber scammers have their sights on the four in five Americans who might take part in Black Friday/Cyber Monday – or what Nord’s Chief Technology Officer Marijus Briedis called a “honeypot for scammers.”

Their favorite targets are people who’ll gladly exchange some private, personal information in return for a big discount or freebie. As they say, forewarned is forearmed, so let’s get on with what the "baddest of the bunch" is and how you can protect yourself.

“Please to meet you – won’t you guess my name?

Rob Shavell, the CEO of DeleteMe, an online privacy company that removes a person's data from Goolge, and security analysts from RedFlagDeals say that the hottest scam this shopping season might just be the “Fake Seller Scam” which involves scammers quickly producing storefronts in 3rd party marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart where they then:

• List legitimate popular brand name products

• Offer these products at the cheapest price on the platform

• Are algorithmically promoted by Amazon (or other retailers) for their great price

• Support their listings with fake, positive reviews

• Provide fake order tracking details to bide time to scam more people before complaints start pouring in

• Offer one-week free shipping - more time to dupe customers before negative reviews come in

• Present themselves as a real seller by lining their storefronts with hundreds of other products

“When you buy, you either don't receive the product, receive the wrong product, or receive a broken/used/unusable version of the product, with no real means for recourse, refunds, or support from the retailer themself,” Kate Musgrove, director of RedFlagDeals told ConsumerAffairs.

Amazon is doing what it can to throw these bad actors over the cliff, but how can the consumer spot this scam? The big clues and most common factors appear to be:

• A low, low price. Products are typically the cheapest you can find and have anywhere from a 20-80% discount. If you are shocked by the price, then it's a good indicator that you should do some double-checking.

• Is this a real brand? Start by checking the "ships from/sold by" information under the "Buy Buttons", where you will see the brand listed. If the brand listed isn't the brand of the product, a known, popular 3rd-party brand, or Amazon itself, you should do some investigating. Start by clicking on the 3rd party's Amazon Seller Page to see if they seem like a real business. If nothing is listed, the seller's name seems fake and contains long, non-sensible names or strings of random numbers, it could be a sign of a scammer.

• Is this brand established? On the seller's "About Page" (example), you can see recent feedback, the sentiment of that feedback, and how it has trended over time. A good rule of thumb is that if you plan to buy from 3rd party sellers, you want to buy from the ones with positive feedback ratios and who have lots of feedback data going back for more than a year.

How to protect yourself

Shavell says the single thing that a consumer can do to keep away from a fake merchant is to stick to trusted vendors.

“Fraud artists create fake companies promoting high-discount offers during high-volume sales periods; if you’re going to do comparison shopping looking for the best price, do so among retailers with whom you already have accounts and have successfully done business with in the past,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

The second of Shavell's smart moves is to stick to payment methods that have consumer protection features and the ability to execute chargebacks. He said that if consumers use a credit card with limits, it usually provides better security features than mobile payments, or is faster to respond to fraud claims than services like Paypal, which he said can be slow and difficult to document after the fact.

His third piece of advice is to consider using a “card masking service” to protect your account information.

“Particularly when doing business with new vendors, it may be safer to use a one-time payment service that prevents the vendor from retaining your account information beyond the individual transaction, and protects you in the event they experience any data breach,” Shavell concluded.

There’s been so many pre-Black Friday sales going on and so much sell-off attempted in the last few months because of overstock issues, is there anything special about Black Friday anymore?

When ConsumerAffairs went looking for the answer, the pickings were indeed slim. 

“​​All retailers are competing for attention and if there is anything left it would be a very small quantity. Most likely, if you're looking for something specific, there's nothing left,” Hannah Nash, co-founder of LucyNash, told ConsumerAffairs.

Nash said that the options aren’t as robust as they have been on Black Fridays in the past but retailers are offering significant discounts in order to attract new customers and clear inventory. 

ConsumerAffairs took Nash’s advice and went hunting for big discounts to see what might be left.

Here’s what we found… 

Retailers that have the most and largest discounts

The places to go if you’re looking for a wide range of things are the major retailers such as Walmart and Target, BlackFriday.com shopping expert Mackenzie Shand told ConsumerAffairs. And those stores also have some of the largest discounts, too, just because they buy so much from vendors.

“Best Buy is a great shopping destination for tech discounts and retailers like Home Depot, Lowe's and Wayfair are good places to check for large discounts on home-related products,” she said.

“In terms of discounts, the majority of Target's deals range from 30% to 50% off. Amazon has advertised many 30% and 40% off discounts, but the discounts reach 70% for Alexa-enabled, smart devices. Similar to Target, Walmart has many items discounted between 30% to 50% off.”

Jewelry is an exceptionally good buy at department stores

For some reason, jewelry is a particularly good choice for money-pinching gift-givers this year. ConsumerAffairs saw upwards of 60% discounts at department stores such as Kohl’s and Belk, and a hard-to-believe 75% off jewelry at JCPenney. 

Macy’s isn’t laying down when it comes to discounts in the jewelry department, either. It’s got many 60% off deals which also lets shoppers buy a necklace or pair of earrings for $29.99 when they spend $25 or more.

Free gift cards

Retailers are hanging gift card mistletoe everywhere they can. ConsumerAffairs saw some tremendous deals at Target where you could get a $20 gift card with a purchase of $100-plus on baby care items, a $50 Target GiftCard with a purchase of the Xbox Series S – Holiday Console, and up to $100 gift cards for purchases of smart TV sets.

BlackFriday’s Shand also turned up several, too -- up to $250 in Apple gift cards when you purchase Apple products such as AirPods and iPads, or an additional $15 Apple gift card when you buy a $100 Apple Gift Card at Target or Best Buy, and a $10 gift card when you purchase $100 worth of gift cards at Barnes & Noble.

Don’t forget Amazon

Amazon’s biggest deals of the year usually come during their Prime Days, but Ryan Turner, the founder of Ecommerce Intelligence told ConsumerAffairs that the online giant is doing the unusual this year – a Black Friday promotion of its own. 

“This does appear to be a 48-hour only sale window, with hundreds of thousands of items discounted across all major categories,” he said. “It'd definitely be worth it for consumers to watch their Black Friday spending budgets and be sure to save some money for the day itself.”

Some web tricks that might turn up extra savings

Retailers are using every opportunity they can to keep a consumer in their lair. When ConsumerAffairs was checking out Belk’s website, we got a pop-up offering us $10 off any $20 purchase – something the promotion said could be used on top of other coupons.

When it looked like we were clicking off Kohl's website, we got a 15% off offer if we'd sign up for its newsletter.  At Duluth Trading Company's site, we got a pop-up offering 20% off plus free shipping for signing up for its email list.

It might be a smart move to check out every retailer’s website and move your mouse a little bit to activate any pop-up discounts the company wants to offer you for signing up for their mailing list or purchasing something.

By the way -- do it in incognito mode so you can make sure that you don't have the retailer's web cookie embedded in your browser. Otherwise, a pop-up deal may never happen.

Online shoppers who aren’t afraid of plug-ins or deal-checking platforms can try out things like Cently, which sniffs out coupon codes that can be used at checkout, and CamelCamelCamel, an Amazon price checker and browser extension. 

Capital One ​​also has a browser extension called “Capital One Shopping” which automatically applies coupons to your cart and sends you price drop notifications.

"Buy now, pay later"? How about "Buy now, and there could be hell to pay later"?

A stern warning is being sent to consumers that there are all sorts of pitfalls to deal with when it comes to buy now, pay later (BNPL) – maybe more than the typical consumer is used to seeing from other finance methods like credit cards or personal loans.

“Realize that BNPL plans don’t offer the federal protections that come with purchases you make by credit card. If an item purchased with BNPL is faulty, lost or stolen, that does not mean you will have protection against having to repay the BNPL loan,” said Hannah Rhodes and Teresa Murray, U.S. PIRG’s Consumer Watchdog team, in their pitfall protection bulletin.

“The federal government offers that safeguard for credit card users.”

Hidden fees, interest, and debt collection

Rhodes and Murray said the complaints are mounting against BNPL companies – and it’s not just one thing, either. Hidden fees, interest, and debt collection, and customer service are all factors that are angering BNPL users.

Surveys also show that a successful BNPL demographic target is young people, who may not understand the business model. In addition, increasing the size of the “basket” leads to consumers buying more stuff that they don’t need and can’t afford.

Know what you’re signing up for

Rhodes and Murray say that with higher inflation and tighter budgets for many this holiday season, it's likely that more consumers will consider Buy Now, Pay Later offers, many without fully understanding them. 

BNPL works like this:

• You make a purchase and agree to pay off the bill in four installments over six weeks.

• You make the first payment at checkout using a debit or credit card.

• The remaining three payments will come every two weeks, whether you have the money in your checking account or available on your credit card or not. If it’s “or not,” be prepared for possible overdraft or over limit fees of $30 or more.

Best case and worst case scenarios

The best case scenario is paying it off on time with no fees and no need to return the item. Worst case scenario? Hmm... Actually, we should make that plural because there’s more than one thing that could go wrong.

“Shoppers run into problems when there are terms and conditions they didn't read or understand, or when they make several purchases using BNPL and haven't budgeted to juggle all of the payments that are lined up like planes on an airport runway,” the watchdogs said.

“Then there are the consumer protections you're forgoing by not paying with a credit card to begin with. And you need to hope the item isn't defective or that the recipient of the gift doesn't want to return or exchange it. You may not be able to get a refund or an exchange, no matter the reason.”

The downsides to BNPL can quickly snowball and haunt a consumer for a long time, Trey Loughran, CEO at Purchasing Power, a company that offers credit using a payroll deduction component, told ConsumerAffairs.

"Failing to make an agreed-upon payment for a Buy Now Pay Later can have compounding effects – requiring the consumer to pay late fees and potentially impacting someone’s credit score," he said.

"At the end of the day, Buy Now Pay Later solutions are another form of credit and consumers need to be conscious not to overextend themselves."

Target, along with many major retailers, kicked off the holiday season early this year, offering shoppers Deal Day events back in early October. Then, in mid-October, the company announced its plans for a season-long Black Friday event, along with Deal of the Day, in which Target offered one major item at a significant discount. 

Now, with Black Friday right around the corner, Target is announcing its plans for the most anticipated shopping weekend of the year. Sales started on Sunday, November 20, and will run through Saturday, November 26. Then, new sales will be announced for Cyber Monday starting on Sunday, November 27, and running through Monday, November 28. 

“We know our guests are looking forward to Black Friday for big savings across all of their holiday needs, and we’re planning to deliver for them with our biggest Black Friday sale ever,” said Christina Hennington, executive vice president and chief growth officer at Target. 

“With more than one million items on sale, we’re offering guests incredible value on the season’s must-have items, from exclusives like Heyday and FAO Schwarz, to national brands like LEGO and Apple, and only-at-Target items across apparel, home, food, and beverage. And best of all, when guests shop Black Friday deals at Target, they can get their items that same day using Drive Up, Order Pickup, or Same Day Delivery with Shipt – all with no membership required.” 

What’s on sale?

While Target plans to update its sales over the course of the weekend, some of the things shoppers can get on sale right now through Saturday, November 26, include: 

• $105 off iRobot Roomba 675 vacuum

• $50 off plus a $50 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox Series S console

• 25% off beauty gift sets

• $300 off 65-inch Element Smart TV

• $150 off Dyson V8 Origin vacuum

• Buy one get one 50% off toy brands – Barbie, FAO Schwarz, Marvel, and more

• 40% off baby gear

• 40% off LEGO

• 50% off six-foot Alberta Christmas trees

• $100 off Beats Solo 3 Wireless Headphones

• 50% off Wondershop pet beds

• $200 off KitchenAid Professional 5 qt Stand Mixer

• $6 faux fur slippers

• $70 off PowerXL Vortex Pro 8 qt Air Fryer

• $29.99 for top Nintendo Switch games

Then, between Thanksgiving Day and Saturday, November 26, Target plans to roll out these sales: 

• $60 off Beats Studio Buds

• 40% off boots and outerwear

• 30% off jewelry

• $7 matching sleepwear sets

• 20% off Kinetic Sand

• $3 for clothing basics 

Shopping conveniently this holiday season

While Target stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, stores will reopen on Black Friday at 7:00 am local time. 

Additionally, throughout the holiday season, Target has updated its return policy and will honor its price match policy. Customers now have 90 days to return items to Target, while the company will also honor any price matches for items found at a lower price either at Target or other retailers when shoppers are in-store or within 14 days of their original purchase. 

With holiday sales beginning in October, will there be anything left on store shelves on Black Friday? Best Buy says there will, but the company says shoppers should show up early just in case.

Best Buy stores will open at 5:00 AM on Friday, though stores located in shopping malls may open slightly later. A list of store openings can be found here. 

The electronics and appliance retailer has already started featuring Black Friday sale items. Here are a few that stand out:

• Featured Chromebooks starting at $79

• Featured Windows laptops starting at $99

• Up to $500 off some gaming laptops

• Samsung - 60" Class TU690T Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV for $400

• Samsung - 75" Class TU690T Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV for $580

• Hisense - 55" Class R6G Series LED 4K UHD Smart Roku TV for $240

• Toshiba - 32" Class V35 Series LED HD Smart Fire TV for $80

• Sony - WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black for $228

• Up to 50% on select exercise equipment

• MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop - Apple M1 chip - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD  for $800

• Apple - AirPods with Charging Case (2nd generation) - White for $100

Many happy returns

Best Buy says it’s prepared for post-holiday returns and has tweaked its policies in a few places.  Purchases made October 24, 2022, through December 31, 2022, have an extended return period through January 14, 2023, excluding items purchased with a third-party contract (e.g., Activatable devices [cell phones, cellular tablets, mobile hotspots, and cellular wearables] and AppleCare+ plans, etc.); and holiday products (e.g., artificial trees, lights, decorations, etc.).

Other exclusions, including restocking fees, non-returnable products, and all other terms and conditions of the Best Buy Return & Exchange Promise apply. You’ll find more information about how to return items here.