How to get the bast value from the Christmas sales

Gráinne McGuinness offers consumer advice on how to plan for the Christmas sales.
How to get the bast value from the Christmas sales

With the Christmas shopping (hopefully) finished by now, savvy Irish shoppers are turning their thoughts to the end of December/ January sales.

It’s not all about clothes — there should be plenty of bargains to be had in bigger ticket items too. If you are hoping to purchase furniture, electrical or computer goods in the New Year there are tips to bear in mind.

It’s easy to get carried away in the hunt for a bargain, but if you are buying large household items you will still spend a significant amount of cash.Before you set foot in a shop, do your research and have a clear idea of what you want and need and how much you are comfortable spending.

If you intend purchasing a laptop for family use, don’t be swayed by a bargain tablet that doesn’t actually suit your purpose. It is also important to stick to your budget. If you see a much higher spec item at a fantastic price, don’t be tempted to swipe your card and worry about it later.

Instead, weigh up whether the extra bells and whistles are really worth the hole you are putting in your budget. If you can get an item that does what you want for a price that you can manage comfortably, that is the best deal.

Think hard about how you pay for larger items. Ideally, you want to pay on the day, either with cash or a gift card if Santa was good enough to bring one. If you are using credit, choose carefully. Many stores offer interest-free credit. If you aren’t paying interest this is an option, once you are happy you can cover the extra payment from your monthly budget. Other than interest-free, store credit is rarely good value for the customer.

Typical interest rates are 22% or more, higher than most credit card rates. If you can’t pay in full right now, consider switching credit cards. Many offer new customers a reduced APR on existing balances and purchases for up to six months, so take advantage of this to clear the cost of your purchase.

Just because you are getting an item on sale does not mean you lose your consumer rights. We asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) for their advice to shoppers hitting the sales.

ā€œItems sold in a sale should be of merchantable quality, fit for their intended purpose and as described to you,ā€ they said.

If there is a problem with your purchase, don’t be fobbed off by the shop because you paid a reduced price.

ā€œIf an item is faulty, your rights do not change just because it was on sale.ā€

The exception to this is if the shop made the fault clear and you accepted it at the time of purchase.

ā€œIf something is on sale because it’s damaged in some way, you don’t have an automatic right to return it if the fault was pointed out before you bought it.ā€

Be wary of saving money by buying damaged items in this area. It’s one thing to decide you can cope with a small stain or rip in a jumper, quite another to accept flawed furniture or white goods that you hope to use for years.

Always keep the receipts for household or computer goods; things can go wrong months down the line and you will need your proof of purchase to go back to the retailer for help.

And if the manufacturer offers an additional guarantee or warranty, the CCPC advise that you check the terms and conditions carefully.

ā€œYou may need to register the guarantee with the manufacturer for certain conditions to be met.ā€

Many retailers offer an extended warranty at a cost. Don’t feel pressurised into taking it as they can be expensive. Balance the cost of replacement or repair of the item against the cost of the warranty and decide if this optional product is right for you.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

For this week’s deal, we asked some of Ireland’s biggest retailers what would be their best offerings in the post-Christmas sales.

Most preferred to wait until the sales began, but a few revealed some of what they were lining up.

Harvey Norman said generally they don’t disclose any of big sale offers ahead of the sale. But they did share one electrical offer — they will be selling the Bosch ProSilence bagless vacuum cleaner for €159, down from the regular price of €239.90.

Described as ā€œthe quietest bagless vacuum cleaner on the marketā€, it promises thorough cleaning with low energy consumption and is suitable for allergy sufferers.

Harry Corry told us they would have good reductions in bed linen, including 50% off their double Bedroom DJ duvet set. This was €29 and it’s now €14.50.

Irish company Casey’s Furniture say their Windermere Ellipse Dining Set including six chairs will be marked down from €2,119 to €1,599.

Their Turandot Corner Sofa was €2,499 but after Christmas it will be on sale for €1,499.

If there are any consumer issuesĀ that you’d like GrĆ”inne to address orĀ if you have problems that GrĆ”inneĀ could help with, she can be contactedĀ at makingcents@examiner.ie

x

More in this section

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

Ā© Examiner Echo Group Limited