Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
kim said 7:26AM on 4-26-2007
i rec'd something like this the other day, and laughed my butt off...right..they said they wanted me to verify my password again...my only & only reply to them was...see ya......
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kvri4 said 1:45PM on 4-28-2007
LOL...I have received several emails, plus a visit on my messenger from the president of THE BANK OF LONDON..On a Sunday evening no less.Seems my email address was assigned a set of winning #'s..You guessed it..I was the lucky address..after several emails over a period of weeks..all I needed to do is open an account at the BOL.($2300.00 american) to have the winnings transferred over. After I did this..I was free to transfer the funds(835,000#'s british) plus my original $2300 would be refunded..Simple ?? Turned info over to local authorities..they promised to personally deliver my winnings..lol Kevin
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Betsy Stephenson said 11:32AM on 4-26-2007
When I receive one of these scam emails, I ask them to send me the small sum of $5,000.00 through my email address to show their good faith in me. I'm still waiting! If it appeals to my sincere Christian faith, I tell them they should be ashamed to use the Lord's name that way and I'll check with my denominational leaders to get their advice.
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wterrietw0000 said 9:51AM on 4-26-2007
yeah i like the one i kept getting suposidly from publishers clearing house. that said i had won in their online drawing.they kept asking for my social security number, date of birth, and home phone and address. i contacted them and was told they hadnt sent any of these emails to me.
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Pam said 9:57AM on 4-26-2007
When i get an e-mail like this, I reply to the person's e-mail supplied addressing him as his name with the attached last name of Crappe and this message:
Name: Catima Mahima Buttola
Address: 4239 U Suka Blvd.
New Jerkey, Tx. 12345
phone number: unlisted
fax # - send me yours and I'll send you mine.
Note to Mr. Peter Solomon Crappe
Dog Bless you in the name of the attourney general of these here united states.
Can't wait to see your blessed face in a court room somewhere in the near future.
from: Catima
Do not meddle in gypsies affairs, for you are crispy and good with ketchup!
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kim said 11:19AM on 4-26-2007
i also, have to add that my, have to say dumb friend, fell into the trap of a scam, she called me from her car to say, "guess what I just won $86,000.00" I said, please tell me you didn't give me any personal info.?, Well she did, and they wiped out her acct., the bank replaced her money.....thought she learned from that, nope, a few weeks later, again the same thing happened & a bank from nigeria put 3,200 into her account & she was at the bank first thing in the am & she withdrew the money closed the account..and paid some bills..finally listened to me...paybacks are a b#$#...lol
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cetisoft said 10:31AM on 4-26-2007
It is not enough for AOL simply to tag this trash as SPAM. This isn't SPAM, it's FRAUD and I would expect that AOL would turn these emails over to the Feds to investigate.
The big problem is that there is no way for a user using AOL to know if the links are legit or not. When I point to a link in my regular browser (IE7), the browser pops up what the actual link is. This feature is sadly lacking at AOL.
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Lee said 10:05AM on 4-27-2007
My personal favorite is FreeLotto. They tell you that you are a prospective winner and no purchase is required in order for you to claim your winnings but...... in order to claim your winnings you have to sign up for a paid subscription to their website. Where's the Free in FreeLotto?
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Bri said 11:28AM on 4-26-2007
Yes, AOL is not helping in this. They have started to ask for your sign-on password to update your security (and other) software "on a monthly basis." Why does AOL send out this stuff now? How do you know if this is legit? I think it probably IS AOL, but why have they started this procedure? They already have my password when I signed on--they know that I am a paying customer, so why this useless and potentially theft-provoking step?!?
In fact the comment that I am typing in requires that I give my password just to make a comment? The funny thing is that they don't request a password from a new user!
It seems that AOL is doing a very poor job of protecting us.
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wjohnso1 said 11:57AM on 4-26-2007
I just got this one:
NOTE: poor grammar and composition
UK GAME BOARD ORGANIZATION.
56 UNION STREET
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
UNITED KINGDOM.
Ref:ZA/144132/1211
Batch: 22/523009/LHINT
ONLINE-UK/OCOUKL LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION
ATTENTION
RE/ AWARD NOTIFICATION
We wish to inform you of the lottery draws held on the 23rd of April 2007 to
declare the winners of the UK Games Board Lottery Organization). This
lottery scheme was created to bring awareness to the world, being that United
Kingdom will be hosting the Olympics games come 2012.
Yourself, attached to Ticket number 356-00098-3211-222, with Serial number
818-09 drew the lucky numbers 67-99-777963, and consequently won
the lottery through a computer ballot system and your email address was gotten through United Kingdom Information Network Online (U.K.I.N.O)
which is affiliated with the internet.
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$2,000,000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO: ZA/144132/1211.This is from total
prize money of US$20,000,000.00 shared among the ten international winners in
this category.
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
17,000 names from Australia, New Zealand, North America, South
America, Europe and Middle East and Asia as part of our International Promotions
Program, which is conducted monthly.
To begin your claim process, please contact your claims manager with details
below and also provide him with the requested information so that
he can Expedite the processing of your claims.
NAME:
COUNTRY:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE/PROV:
ZIP/POSTAL/CODE:
PHONE&FAX:
OCCUPATION & AGE:
EMAIL:
REFERENCE NUMBER:
BATCH NUMBER:
REV, TOM JONES
CLAIMS MANAGER
FOREIGN CLAIMS DEPARTMENT,
SPOT FINANCE LTD
4th FLOOR, BRACKEN HOUSE,CHARLES ST,
MANCHESTER, LONDON
ENGLAND
EMAIL: ukplo.agent@yahoo.de
TELEPHONE: +447024054988
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your reference/batch
numbers to any correspondences with us or our designated agent.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
(a) Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than One Week After
notice. After this date, all funds will be returned as unclaimed
Funds.
(b) Being one of the lucky winners, you constitute entrant\'s full and
unconditional agreement to and acceptance of our terms and conditions claims to avoid any discrepancy in the cause of payment of your prize awards winning.
(c) To avoid double claims, you are advised to keep your winning details very
confidential, as any discrepancies resulting from a breach of this
confidentiality on the part of the winners will be covered solely by such winner as our staffs are bound by the oath of secrecy taken on
employment.
Congratulations once more from all members and staffs of this program.
Thank
You for being part of our promotional lottery program.
Sincerely
Betty Watford
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Janet said 12:50PM on 4-26-2007
I received e-mail where they were sending me a ATM card which I could not withdraw more than $2.500.00 a day. Of course they wanted my name, address, telephone number, occupation and ID. As usual the e-mail address they gave to contact was no good.
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aloharosy said 10:55AM on 5-10-2007
I RECEIVE AN EMAIL AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH FROM PAYPAL TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO UPDATE MY ACCOUNT. THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY FRAUD'S. WHEN I TURN THEM OVER TO SPAM AT PAYPALL, I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY DO EXCEPT SEND ME AN EMAIL TELLING ME IT WAS A FRAUD.
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Dave said 12:55PM on 4-26-2007
I have exposed a few of these scams on my web site at www.assholesamongus.com - Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC just did an expose' also.
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Donna B said 2:06PM on 4-26-2007
A few days ago I received a very authentic notification from microsoft that I needed to to an update to protect my computer from porn, etc. I felt wierd about the way the update seemed to have just "popped up" ---I hadn't noticed the update message first appearing in the lower right corner of my computer. I decided to decline the update, and it began a "scan' of my harddrive, saying I had 674 instances of "porn" and other damaging cookies. It softened the message by saying it would remove all the unwanted material if I would finish the download. At this point I thought, "There is just no way!" I checked my McCafe (spelling?) Secuity Advisor which said at least 12 high risk alerts were attached to the site. I shudder to think what I could have invited on to my hard-drive. Beware of any Microsoft, Office, or Windows updates or software downloads. Test them first or go to the official websites to see if these downloads are actually being offered.
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eric said 8:27AM on 5-03-2007
It's very simple people. AOL is the portal used by most new internet users. This is the reason we have to deal with this at least 2 times a day. For us seasoned veterans, sure it's funny and easy to spot. But the new people fall for this crap all of the time. Maybe AOL should spend less resources outsourcing to distant lands, and more time protecting its users. It's no wonder AOL is free now. With the proliferation of broadband internet, what really do they have to offer except for crappy customer service and no protection for its new users.
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JIM said 9:10PM on 5-04-2007
I have received several such emails over the years.from winning the lottery ,next of kin and ebay.I KNOW TNE EMAIL FROM EBAY IS FRUD iDO NOT HAVE AN EBAY PAY PAL ACCOUNT
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Bill said 7:14AM on 5-05-2007
I've received E-mails from PayPal and eBay notifying me that my account is being suspended for mis-use. How do I feel about having an account suspended that doesn't exist? When the E-mail arrives about the winnings and the handling fee the response is a request to send a phone number. The sender will then be called and instructed on how to send the winnings after deducting the handling fee. The procedure is the same for Craig's List or eBay when these clowns offer checks or money orders. A working phone number is required. Instructions will then be given for preparing a money order in an amount sufficient to cover the purchase, insurance, shipping, and my inconvenience. The amount is usually triple the purchase price. I then inform the "buyer" that the item will be shipped in about 6-8 weeks, after the check/money order has been verified as legitimate and cashed. In the alternative they're also informed that the appropriate agency will be in touch regarding MAIL FRAUD, GRAND THEFT, and FORGERY. Funny how none of these Nigerian/English/Indonesian (pick one) scammers respond again. As for the representative of the Nigerian Foreign Ministry and the uncollected funds, my response is crude, crass, and just plain impolite and comes from a dummy E-mail account.
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debbie said 10:26AM on 5-05-2007
I too, have rec'd many of these phony e-mails. What I do now, if the e-mail address isn't familiar to me I just automatically SPAM them. If it was something important they will contact me by phone. How about the one telling you that they have won so much $ and you have been chosen to receive some of it - yeah, right!!
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Emeric said 10:56AM on 5-05-2007
I received several emails recently,from an individual,'banker' in London,telling me that someone,next of kin,died in the hospital,and there are 24 million in the bank,so I need to send my name adress and other bank related information,to claim my millions.Then he will send me all the documents and proves regarding the legality of this tranzaction.He even gave an address:
Mr.Phillip John
28 Tanfield Road,
Croydon,London,
W2 1EY,United Kingdom.
His email date is:3/13/2007,6:59 AM,Pacific Daylight
Time.I made a copy of this email.
After I answeredthat my personal data is not available on the internet,the "banker" just got
lost and the next of kin's millions are still waiting in a London bank.If you eventually hear from him,should know that the millions are mine,so I'm the first next of kin.
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Kat Nelson said 12:08PM on 5-05-2007
I have received countless You Win and other lottery scam emails. NEVER EVER fill in any information and NEVER EVER click on a link in any so called authentic looking email as from PayPal, EBay, AOL, etc. Use your browser and type in the name of the site who is purporting to ask you for information, validation, etc. Usually you will get a 404 message that the site doesn't even exist. Further, if you have a PayPal account use: Spoof@paypal.com to forward the email in question and they will respond. Also, be sure to change your passwords on ALL of your online accounts every 6 months. I just got hit 5 times in two days on my PayPal account and I simply changed my password and account verification data. There are millions of very smart criminals in this world who spend countless amounts of money(usually yours if you got scammed) and time with very advanced computer hacking skills who can scan and data scoop endlessly. TV and movies has shown the methodology of getting classified information instantly (24 and other shows). These shows are helpful since that technology does exist and has for a long time. This is why it is absolutely necessary to change your passwords every 6 months or less. Use letters and symbols and even words in a foreign language ie: spanish or some such and use symbols on the numbers line on the top of your keyboard. This makes it very difficult to hack, still criminals do so keep good computer health by doing one simple act which is frequent password change. I have been hit way too many times to count. Good advice, thanks to everyone for sharing, I hope these comments also help newbies.
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