Eff Black Friday
 

[url=http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111366/black-fridays-dirty-little-secrets]black-fridays-dirty-little-secrets: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance[/url]

I figured Id start a thread for all the warpathians stories, pains and tribulations dealing with Black Friday shopping.

A few years ago I saw a great great deal on a huge HD tv with radio shack in the DMV area. Well I went to 3 different Radio Shacks and none of them had any of the advertised TVs in stock. So at the last store I pretty much lost it. I convinved a store clerk to check if and how many of the advertised TVs they had in stock in all the DMV radio shacks.

The answer? 3. 3 of their advertised blockbuster deals for this tv for the entire DMV area. thats not 3 of these tvs per store but 3 and only 3 for all their stores.

I was pissed. They did the old switch-a-roo just to get me thru the doors. I cursed Radio Shack name.

So beware, dont get your hopes up and post any stories you have of Black Friday shopping experiences good or bad.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I stay far away from any stores on Friday. Just not my bag in the least bit. In fact I try to avoid malls and stores all December. Online shopping is where it's at.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Yeah I do to but that was first and only try at the whole "wait outside in the cold to try and get a great deal" experience. i couldnt believe the manipulation. i learned my lesson.

besides that new electronics store HHGregg seems to have great deals for the next few weeks, not just on black friday.

anyone ever gone to a HHGreeg? im going to try it out here in the next week or so.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=over the mountain;762376]Yeah I do to but that was first and only try at the whole "wait outside in the cold to try and get a great deal" experience. i couldnt believe the manipulation. i learned my lesson.

besides that new electronics store HHGregg seems to have great deals for the next few weeks, not just on black friday.

[B]anyone ever gone to a HHGreeg? im going to try it out here in the next week or so[/B].[/quote]


I went in and turned around and walked right out mine at least had very little selection. They seem to be more of an appliance store then an electronics store.

And yes like Matty I avoid and shop online.

We even did my sons Santa picture last weekend to avoid the "rush".

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=mredskins;762378]I went in and turned around and walked right out mine at least had very little selection. [B]They seem to be more of an appliance store then an electronics store. [/B]

And yes like Matty I avoid and shop online.

We even did my sons Santa picture last weekend to avoid the "rush".[/quote]Same impression I got when I bought a flip camera from there for my Mom's birthday. It looked like the appliance section at Sears spread out to try to fill a store the size of Best Buy. It wasn't a terrible place and the salesman was helpful but it was kind of weird for some reason.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=ArtMonkDrillz;762387]Same impression I got when I bought a flip camera from there for my Mom's birthday. I looked like the appliance section at Sears spread out to try to fill a store the size of Best Buy. It wasn't a terrible place and the salesman was helpful but it was kind of weird for some reason.[/quote]


Yeah it is like the stores are too big and sterile. I felt like Iwas in a Hollywood made up electronics store.

Plus they sell no media what so ever.

When you walk into Best Buy it is like boom boom look at this and that so cool! Walk into HHGreggs and it is like "Hey we got some stuff here."

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[quote=Mattyk;762374]I stay far away from any stores on Friday. Just not my bag in the least bit. In fact I try to avoid malls and stores all December. Online shopping is where it's at.[/quote]

Seconded, thirded, and fourthed. You can't get me near a mall on black Friday. Cyber Monday's where it's at. Finding good prices online is so much more efficient, and you end up with deals just as good.

I really don't know why anybody buys stuff in a store anymore.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=Mattyk;762374]I stay far away from any stores on Friday. Just not my bag in the least bit. In fact I try to avoid malls and stores all December. Online shopping is where it's at.[/quote]

I pretty much avoid malls all year except for a few times to stock up on clothes.

I'll have to say Sears got me a few years back on a tool set I wanted to get for my father. The item went on sale at 10:00pm and the stor had none when I was there at around 10:02. Stupis ass me still purchased a set of tools for around $20 more then the other set. I said to my wife this is a F&L for me.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

F**k H&H Gregg. They opened one up here in Winchester, and my wife wanted to go see it. So i took her. We didnt make it 5 steps in the door and i saw all the red-shirted salesmen eyeing us like hungry wolves. We never got to look at anything in peace because they wouldn't leave us alone. One guy was cool, he recognized me and said "hey hatchetman" with a thumbs up, but the rest i was ready to just tell them to F**k off.

I have never been back there since.

But my neighbor is in charge of security for the mall here, i mean he is from corporate and oversees the security, and he told me of how last year, the mall started having people surround it around 3 AM, and they went to open a back door at one of the stores so the mall employees could get in discreetly, but someone from the crowd saw the door open and they rushed it, flocking to innards of the mall like a bunch of zombies.

In the commotion he said an elderly man who was on oxygen and using a walker (What the hell was he doing in that line anyway???), was knocked over, and trampled, crushing one of the arteries in his leg, and my neighbor, who was a former police officer, pushed on his leg and minimized the blood loss until the paramedics could get there.

This year he said they aren't taking any chances. Local Police are on hand to assist with crowd control, and the Winchester Armory was nice enough to send over about half a dozen reservists to help. It's a damn shame i'm not in anymore because i would have no problem cracking the skull of somebody who jumped the barricade with my trusty ASP...

Seriously be careful folks...it gets rough out there starting tomorrow...

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=SolidSnake84;762409]F**k H&H Gregg. They opened one up here in Winchester, and my wife wanted to go see it. So i took her. We didnt make it 5 steps in the door and i saw all the red-shirted salesmen eyeing us like hungry wolves. We never got to look at anything in peace because they wouldn't leave us alone. One guy was cool, he recognized me and said "hey hatchetman" with a thumbs up, but the rest i was ready to just tell them to F**k off.

I have never been back there since.

But my neighbor is in charge of security for the mall here, i mean he is from corporate and oversees the security, and he told me of how last year, the mall started having people surround it around 3 AM, and they went to open a back door at one of the stores so the mall employees could get in discreetly, but someone from the crowd saw the door open and they rushed it, flocking to innards of the mall like a bunch of zombies.

In the commotion he said an elderly man who was on oxygen and using a walker (What the hell was he doing in that line anyway???), was knocked over, and trampled, crushing one of the arteries in his leg, and my neighbor, who was a former police officer, pushed on his leg and minimized the blood loss until the paramedics could get there.

This year he said they aren't taking any chances. Local Police are on hand to assist with crowd control, and the Winchester Armory was nice enough to send over about half a dozen reservists to help. It's a damn shame i'm not in anymore because i would have no problem cracking the skull of somebody who jumped the barricade with my trusty ASP...

Seriously be careful folks...it gets rough out there starting tomorrow...[/quote]

We know SS your probably posting this while camped out in front of WalMart. Your wife seems to drag you into allot of stores. Walmart now HH Greg.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=firstdown;762417]We know SS your probably posting this while camped out in front of WalMart. Your wife seems to drag you into allot of stores. Walmart now HH Greg.[/quote]

Haha i appreciate the humor. And that's true. And i try and keep the peace with her and go along with it. Walmart was more of a moral issue lol.

But I assure you i'm not camped out at walmart. But i will update you guys tonight when i'm on the way home, because last year at this time people were already pitching tents at Kohls and everything else nearby lol.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Agreed, I hate black friday.

Just go to Slickdeals and get their deals without moving from your couch.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=SolidSnake84;762418]Haha i appreciate the humor. And that's true. And i try and keep the peace with her and go along with it. Walmart was more of a moral issue lol.

But I assure you i'm not camped out at walmart. But i will update you guys tonight when i'm on the way home, because last year at this time people were already pitching tents at Kohls and everything else nearby lol.[/quote]

Its very rare that my wife ever ask me to go shoping but thats because I took care of that when we first started dating. When we first started dating she dragged me shopping and I made her so miserable shopping that after a few times she quit asking me to go. We do go shopping some but she knows not to drag me out for too long. If its a situation where she wants to hit the mall and has no choice but for me to go she will drop me off at the bar to wait for her. God I Love my wife.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=Schneed10;762403]Seconded, thirded, and fourthed. You can't get me near a mall on black Friday. Cyber Monday's where it's at. Finding good prices online is so much more efficient, and you end up with deals just as good.

[B]I really don't know why anybody buys stuff in a store anymore[/B].[/quote]

For sure. Pretty much the only brick and mortar shopping I do is for clothing. Everything else is so easy to do on-line. And yeah, these idiots who camp out in front of stores for 4am openings on Black Friday should seriously take a look at thier priorities in life. So pathetic.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

i am waiting for Cyber Monday!

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Let's just say, I work part time at Toys R Us.. (in the electronics section) and the store opens on Friday at 5am and stays open till midnight..... Expect a lot of :argue: and :Smoker:

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=DynamiteRave;762462]Let's just say, I work part time at Toys R Us.. (in the electronics section) and the store opens on Friday at 5am and stays open till midnight..... Expect a lot of :argue: and :Smoker:[/quote]

Great you can go straight from the bar/party to work.:food-smil

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I've worked Black Friday at 2 different stores (Toys-r-Us and Target) and I gotta say it's painful. First off those big deals that they advertise in stock, well it's a sham. They'll have between 1-5 of them in stock and if you aren't in line at midnight to get your spot in place they will be gone by the time you do get in the door, and that's only if they aren't reserved. When I worked at Toys-R-Us they had a deal, it was a 30 gig Zune for sale (this was back in '07) for 150 bucks, and that was on the front page of the ad where you know everybody would want one. Well, we only got 5 of them in stock, and my manager of the store said that if any of the employees wanted to buy it, just tell him and he'd put one aside for the team member in particular. Well 5 people wanted one but the manager said he had to have at least one in stock for the sale, so he put 4 of them aside for 4 employees and when the store opened at 5 am there was one left, and it went to a guy who had been waiting outside since about 10 pm which was the time my shift started.

So if you see a really great deal that you think you might have a shot at, don't even bother unless you're willing to be in line at midnight at the latest. Same thing happened when I worked at Target 2 years ago, there was some flat screen tv's on sale in the Black Friday ad and when the store opened there was like 1-2 of them in stock, which was ridiculous.

Not to mention all the frustrated customers that wait all night only to be told it's not in stock. That's one of the worst parts of the day, it happened to me both times I was working. It's inevitable that someone will get pissed for waiting outside for 5+ hours only to discover the thing they want isn't in stock, but the whole reason stores do it is to get people to come to the store, not because they actually have plenty in stock. I'm sure that's not the case at every retail store but just take it for what it's worth. There are good deals to be had on Black Friday, I just wouldn't advise getting your hopes up and waiting all night for a store to open because odds are if it's a massive deal they won't have but just a couple in stock.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=DynamiteRave;762462]Let's just say, I work part time at Toys R Us.. (in the electronics section) and the store opens on Friday at 5am and stays open till midnight..... Expect a lot of :argue: and :Smoker:[/quote]

That's gonna suck hard for you, being in the electronics department. If they still do things the way they did when I worked there 3 years ago, you might be in for a rough day.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Ive had decent luck on BF without having to wait too long,but did have to get up early.Didnt do it last yr,but the yr before I stood in line for about an hr for a 50" LG flat screen for 500 bucks

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I get to work 4 30 am to 9pm on black friday. This will suck

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I worked retail for all of 8 months back in the day at CompUSA. Yeah it blows big time, I feel for you retail folks. So many people are just rude and nasty, even more so on Black Friday or right after Christmas when everyone returns shit.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I am the ASM at Gamestop so this will be bullshit

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=EARTHQUAKE2689;762601]I am the ASM at Gamestop so this will be bullshit[/quote]

I'm sorry Quake. May your tolerance be high, I'm sure you will have it rough.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=mooby;762605]I'm sorry Quake. May your tolerance be high, I'm sure you will have it rough.[/quote]

Thanks. I was supposed to be 1pm to 9pm but my store manager is beyond sick so I have to be the acting manager on duty all day to cover his shift.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Quake and Rave- I feel for you. I think I'd go postal if I had to deal with working retail tomorrow. Quake- you still in Gainesville, FL? The GameStop at the Oaks Mall?

My wife is in Windermere, FL with her family this week, and she and her mom are hitting the malls in Orlando tomorrow. They're freaking crazy. But I made sure I gave the wife some $$ and a list. Hey, if she's gonna brave Black Friday, I'm at least gonna cash in on some of the deals. ;)

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=GMScud;762616]Quake and Rave- I feel for you. I think I'd go postal if I had to deal with working retail tomorrow. Quake- you still in Gainesville, FL? The GameStop at the Oaks Mall?

My wife is in Windermere, FL with her family this week, and she and her mom are hitting the malls in Orlando tomorrow. They're freaking crazy. But I made sure I gave the wife some $$ and a list. Hey, if she's gonna brave Black Friday, I'm at least gonna cash in on some of the deals. ;)[/quote]

No I'm back in Charlotte NC now

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I was out at my local shopping epicenter here in Woodbridge just a couple hours ago to help a friend out with his shopping and shit's absolutely crazy. It's like laws go out the window when you have this many people together, I mean I saw people making horrendous driving decisions like it will cost them half an hour if they don't miss a turn or some shit when they can drive half a block and make the next turn. People are ****in stupid. Especially those lined up in tents outside Best Buy. Whatever deal they are waiting for they can probably get online for the same price and they won't have to wait outside 7 hours before the store opens.

I stopped by Walmart on the way to work,got there about 7:30. I was in and out in 5 minutes with the 69.95 bluray with wifi player. It wasn't even as bad as a normal Saturday . The electronics section is where the most people were gathered. I don't know if it's the economy or it had already cleared out from 5 am


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Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=mooby;762620]I was out at my local shopping epicenter here in Woodbridge just a couple hours ago to help a friend out with his shopping and shit's absolutely crazy. It's like laws go out the window when you have this many people together, I mean I saw people making horrendous driving decisions like it will cost them half an hour if they don't miss a turn or some shit when they can drive half a block and make the next turn. People are ****in stupid. Especially those lined up in tents outside Best Buy. Whatever deal they are waiting for they can probably get online for the same price and they won't have to wait outside 7 hours before the store opens.[/quote]

As far as it goes here, most of the cops are doing crowd control at Best-Buy and Apple Blossom Mall. Things get bad here and the cops are on hand as well as some reservists to keep things cool at the mall...

This is why: [url=http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/424522/]Black friday death match at walmart This is insane Video[/url]

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=mooby;762620][B]I was out at my local shopping epicenter here in Woodbridge[/B] just a couple hours ago to help a friend out with his shopping and shit's absolutely crazy. It's like laws go out the window when you have this many people together, I mean I saw people making horrendous driving decisions like it will cost them half an hour if they don't miss a turn or some shit when they can drive half a block and make the next turn. People are ****in stupid. Especially those lined up in tents outside Best Buy. Whatever deal they are waiting for they can probably get online for the same price and they won't have to wait outside 7 hours before the store opens.[/quote]

i'm guessing you are talking about the potomac mills area. i was pissed i had to go to costco today, the one that is at potomac mills. i thought it would be hell, the parking lot was a friggin joke but costco itself wasn't bad. you will never find me at a target or other bix box store on black friday ffffffffffffffffffffff that

as far as the hh gregg bashing goes i don't get it, i mean their sign says hhgregg appliances and electronics and that's pretty much what it is. yeah they don't have all the dvd's, video games, or cd's but i think thats better. they focus on what you are there for a big ass tv or a sweet ass surround sound. i bought my new tv from the one here in woodbridge and i had a pretty good experience there. they were actually helpful and nice and in no way did they sucker me into buying the biggest and baddest tv they had there, i did that on my own!(with my wife's permission)

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=mlmdub130;762653]i'm guessing you are talking about the potomac mills area. i was pissed i had to go to costco today, the one that is at potomac mills. i thought it would be hell, the parking lot was a friggin joke but costco itself wasn't bad. you will never find me at a target or other bix box store on black friday ffffffffffffffffffffff that

as far as the hh gregg bashing goes i don't get it, i mean their sign says hhgregg appliances and electronics and that's pretty much what it is. yeah they don't have all the dvd's, video games, or cd's but i think thats better. they focus on what you are there for a big ass tv or a sweet ass surround sound. i bought my new tv from the one here in woodbridge and i had a pretty good experience there. they were actually helpful and nice and in no way did they sucker me into buying the biggest and baddest tv they had there, i did that on my own!(with my wife's permission)[/quote]

Yeah I'm talkin about Potomac Mills. That place is a hellhole. I mean the traffic situation is so packed in there with all the big box stores nearby that it's just kinda ridiculous.

You know that access road that goes all the way around P.Mills? I was in the right hand lane, and some d-bag was in the left hand lane, and that person realized she needed to make a right hand turn, but instead of doing the logical thing and slowing down and letting me pass, she cut me off and made a right hand turn from the left hand lane. And that stupidity seems to spread everywhere, there was a line out front of the Gamestop in the mall that stretched halfway down the corridor, and there were fights breaking out about spots in the line that the police had to break up. People are just stupid, and it's never more evident than on Black Friday.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

We have to pass a mall on the way home from my parents so I had my daughter drive through mall parking lot (I drank too much to drive). Toys-R-Us was open last night and I'm guessing 500 or more people were in line so we stoped to see all the action. I yelled out {if you think Toy R Us Rocks on black Friday give me a shout}. I got the entire line yelling and someone else got the wave going. My daughter just sat there and laughed at me. Other store had long lines but nothing like Toys R Us. DR you must of had fun.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I sure as hell didn't have fun.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Bump.

Anybody find any good deals yesterday? I actually didn't hit up any of the stores at midnight last night, but I got a couple good deals online. Ordered Battlefield 3 online from EA.com for 31 bucks (shipping included) last night, and I'm gonna give that to my bro for x-mas this year, plus I got a 7 inch tablet from buy.com for 80 bucks that I'm gonna give to my sister and her bf for x-mas, and then I got Assassins Creed Revelations off BestBuy.com for 35 bucks, which is gonna be for me lol. I went out to Petsmart and Target last night, long after the big crowds had died down, and they had some okay deals but nothing really worthwhile.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

I love black friday and have never missed a deal... staples and circuit city (well, in past years) and office depot let you order online at midnight and then show up whenever to pick stuff up.

BX (fort belvoir) had some good deals and i showed up at like noon there.

I haven't done the stand in the cold thing since bestbuy had the very first sub $500 laptop, but i was #4 in line (2am) and was offered tickets to every single "super" deal at 5am right before they opened. since then the housing market tanked and the deals just haven't been as good. my parents got another giganto tv and some cooking/tool stuff, but that's about it.

today's deals weren't any better than newegg's everyday price. real yawner.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

Best Buy was on fire yesterday with great deals. Got a Canon PowerShot SX230HS for 200 bucks. Got couple of new games and blurays for dirt cheap too. I basically ordered everything online and picked them up at the Tysons store around 9:30 am....Surprisingly the place was practically empty because they opened at midnight and all the freaks were done by morning.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=saden1;863099]Best Buy was on fire yesterday with great deals. Got a Canon PowerShot SX230HS for 200 bucks. Got couple of new games and blurays for dirt cheap too. I basically ordered everything online and picked them up at the Tysons store around 9:30 am....Surprisingly the place was practically empty because they opened at midnight and all the freaks were done by morning.[/quote]

I agree, online ordering is the way to go.

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

So question about camping out:

What prevents people from just showing up at the door as soon as the store opens? Best Buy doesn't exactly have a "Line Forms Here" sign... I'm sure people might be waiting with their faces smashed against the door, but the people camping days in advance can't really stop people from getting in front of them can they?

Re: Eff Black Friday
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;863102]So question about camping out:

What prevents people from just showing up at the door as soon as the store opens? Best Buy doesn't exactly have a "Line Forms Here" sign... I'm sure people might be waiting with their faces smashed against the door, but the people camping days in advance can't really stop people from getting in front of them can they?[/quote]

Not sure because I've never done it before, but I think that they have Best Buy employees come out and ask you what you're waiting in line for and then they hand you a slip with a number on it to ensure you receive the goods you're waiting for.