The holiday season is fast approaching, and so is one of the biggest shopping dates of the year - Black Friday.
Part of our consumer calendar from the American shopping holiday, Black Friday has often been seen as the best date to get all the best bargains and sort the Christmas gift list.
But our friend and Consumer NZ spokesperson, Jess Walker, warns us that Kiwis need to be aware that deals we see could be dupes in disguise.
"I think the most important thing for all shoppers to be aware of is that you can very easily end up paying more than the true value of a product because it's got a sale sign on it."
Jess suggests that researching a product is the best way to know if you're getting a decent deal, and not rely on the recommended retail prices that are printed on the sign.
"When you go into a shop or you're looking online, you'll see a discount, and that discount is usually against the recommended retail price."
"But what you can do is use a tool like Price Spy or Price Me, and put in the detail of the product you're looking at."
"What that will actually tell you is the price of that product at lots of different stores across New Zealand and also how that price is tracked over time."
Another great source of product information is checking out Consumer NZ's website and becoming a member, as they are an independently run organisation looking out for the everyday consumer, and testing which products are best.
Hear more about Consumer NZ and Black Friday deals in the highlight above.
