Black Friday starts now: A guide to avoiding pressure tactics, online scams and porch pirates

Good news for bargain hunters: Gone are the days of having to stand in line at dawn and then elbow your way through a store to get your hands on coveted Black Friday deals, as many retailers have already launched their Black Friday sales in stores and online. The preference for in-person shopping on Black Friday is a shift from last year, when the National Retail Federation estimated that 76.2 million people shopped in person and 90.6 million made purchases online. It’s even more overwhelming to find one of those gifts on sale at an online retailer, only to see a tag in bold lettering that says “High Demand,” “Low stock” or “In 10 people’s carts,” because your next thought tends to be, “This could sell out, I need to get it now.” These are often just mind games retailers and advertisers play that are “designed to spur us to make hasty spending decisions,” said R.S. Other common tactics include displaying how much an item will cost by making monthly installments that “both make low-cost products’ prices seem cheaper and make expensive impulse purchases more doable,” according to the organization. As you search for deals this week, Cross said, compare items across various online retailers “and don’t get distracted by offers you haven’t had the time to think through,” said Cross.