If the fist fights and police arrests prove anything, is that shoppers tend not to think straight when it comes to bagging a bargain during Black Friday. Brands spend millions of pounds on marketing and creating a buzz around a product/sale – so you need to know your Black Friday rights.

My Black Friday top tips:

1. Have a list of things you want to buy, and price them using a comparison tool now.  Find out the cheapest price. When Black Friday comes around, compare prices again. This will ensure that not only are you getting the lowest price on the day, but that you really are getting a bargain by shopping on Black Friday.
2. Remember, that some stores have a price promise but this doesn’t always bean online as well. Some stores such as Currys and John Lewis, will match the price of its competitors – sometimes up to seven days after you buy the items. If you’re banking on this, make sure you double check the stores policy.
3. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA), the item must be of satisfactory quality, match the description, be fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time. If you find that what you bought is not what you expected, is damaged, or doesn’t last very long (a reasonable amount of time), take it back and get a refund.
4. Under the CRA, you have 30 days to get a refund if the item is in breach of the Act. If you wait longer than this time, the retailer can refuse to give you a refund, but insist on repairing the item, or replacing it. The good news is that you have up to six years to claim if considered reasonable.
5. I know it seems like it, but you aren’t entitled to a refund if you simply change your mind. A lot of stores will do this, but it isn’t a right. So choose wisely.
6. If the item is for a gift, get a gift receipt (sometimes they will give you till the middle of Jan to return), or let the person you’re buying the gift for, know that you have the receipt should anything go wrong (or they hate it – cheeky sod!).