15 tips to find cell phone deals on Black Friday
How do you find the best cell phone deals on Black Friday? When is a Black Friday iPhone deal really a deal? With the following tips and tricks, you can benefit from the best discounts this November.
On November 29, Black Friday, it’s that time again: online and offline, retailers will fight for your attention with the most insane special offers. The best Black Friday deals are known to be on electronics like TVs, computers and home appliances. At the top of the list, of course, are special offers on cell phones and mobile contract Black Friday deals. For example, this month you can find several Salt subscriptions for a special price.
90 years of shopping madness
In the U.S., Black Friday has long been considered the highest-turnover day in retail sales. Yet the popular US American bargain hunt on the fourth Friday of November is older than you might think. Black Friday history dates back to the 1930s. U.S. retailers at the time noticed that many US Americans were using the day after the Thanksgiving holiday to shop for Christmas presents. Therefore, to attract customers and outdo the competition, retailers began to outbid each other with special offers.
The rest of the world only started with the Black Friday sales madness in the last decade, but it has become the starting point for Christmas shopping. While the popularity of the shopping day in the USA is now slowly waning (shifting to Amazon Prime Day, for example), the exact opposite is happening in Switzerland.
With all these deals, it’s easy to lose track or – even worse – fall into a scam trap. So make sure it’s a worthwhile deal before you whip out your credit card. We’ve put together 15 tricks to help you avoid getting lost in bargain fever.
Find the best mobile subscription offers here.
Tip 1: Set a budget
75% discount?! Yes, let’s add the toaster to the shopping cart, which we don’t need. And suddenly several hundred francs have disappeared from your account, when all you wanted to do was to buy a new cell phone. To avoid being completely swept away by all the special offers, you should set yourself a budget in advance. And stick to it!
Tip 2: Create a wish list
Preparation is key and will also save you from unnecessary purchases. Not every special offer is really a worthwhile deal. Therefore, before Black Friday, think about which items you want to buy.
Tip 3: Check the long-term benefits
It is most worthwhile to buy products that have a long lifespan. This is why cell phones, household products and furniture are so popular on Black Friday. These sectors not only offer very high discounts, but also long-term benefits. For example, you can benefit from a cell phone subscription on special offer for years to come.
Tip 4: Compare prices
Just because it says -75% in bold letters does not mean that it is a discount. A discount is not automatically a deal. This means for you: Do your research. Look at your desired product at different retailers and compare their prices. It’s also best to check the RRP (Recommended Retail Price), which you can easily find online. Only in relation to the market price can the bargain be properly classified. Also consider the shipping costs or other benefits such as additional vouchers or cashbacks.
Tip 5: Sometimes it pays off to wait…
Are you not completely convinced by a deal on Black Friday? Then it’s better to leave it alone. The special offers are often continued over the whole weekend until Monday – also called Cyber Monday. What’s left of those days, many retailers put even further down. And do not forget: January Sales are then also not far away. So a little patience can pay off.
Tip 6: Grab it at midnight
The most worthwhile deals are usually sold out within minutes. It’s therefore worth setting your alarm and getting up early to go to the stores. For online deals, on the other hand, it’s best to be ready at midnight with your credit card drawn.
Fun Fact: In Switzerland, Bergbahnen Sörenberg holds the record. Their heavily discounted day passes sold out in less than 7 minutes on Black Friday of 2017. So don’t sleep through the Black Friday deals!
Tip 7: Shop online
To avoid crowded shops, it’s best to shop online. This has numerous other advantages. For example, an online store usually has a much larger quantity of items in stock. In addition, most deals are first sold out in the stores and only afterwards online.
Tip 8: Already put items in the shopping cart
You can add your desired item to your shopping basket before Black Friday. Or reserve in the store if possible and put it aside. However, you need to know which items you want to buy (see tip 2). Many already put these in the shopping cart before Black Friday and send the order only when the discount applies. This way, you don’t lose a lot of time with the order and your desired item is definitely not sold out yet. Online stores are often overloaded during such sales events, so you only need a few clicks for your purchase.
Tip 9: Check social media of your favorite shops
Again, it’s all about preparation. Search the social media channels of your favorite brands and stores for exclusive deals. Often, these are announced on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Not only that, some retailers gift their followers with additional special offers.
Tip 10: Tech deals on older models
Bargain hunters beware: When looking for the best cell phone deal, you won’t find the highest discounts on the latest model. It’s much more likely that an older model is on special offer.
So if you don’t necessarily need the brand new iPhone 16, take a look at whether there are deals on older models such as the iPhone 13, 14 or 15. After all, most of the ‘older’ models haven’t been on the market for long, so they’re still state of the art.
Tip 11: Create an online account beforehand
Online, things have to move fast on Black Friday. Wasting time creating a store account therefore makes little sense. So take care of it beforehand and enter your payment and shipping details. Save everything on your account so that you can complete your Black Friday shopping quickly and easily.
Tip 12: Start before Black Friday
Don’t forget: The best deals sell out within minutes. Many retailers have extended the sale beyond Black Friday in recent years. Sometimes special offers are even available throughout the whole of November. Therefore, check whether your favorite items or stores are already offering discounts before the actual big sales event.
Tip 13: Check the return policy
Basically, you have more options in online stores when it comes to returns. Stores are not obligated to accept returns, but many do anyway. However, both online and offline, the rules can change during a sale like Black Friday. So just to be safe, check what your rights are here so you can easily ask for a refund in case of an emergency.
Tip 14: Create a list of retailers who have the product you want
You’ve found your dream cell phone subscription at the perfect low price. It’s already in your shopping cart when the website suddenly crashes. What do you do now? This is where the list comes into play. Browse through various stores before Black Friday and make a note of which ones offer your desired items. In an emergency, you can then quickly go to the next retailer and not miss the deal.
Tip 15: Beware of unknown brands and low prices
Unfortunately, there are always fake stores on Black Friday that want to profit from our shopping frenzy. Caution is advised with particularly low-priced offers from an unknown brand. Indications of these fakes are, for example, many spelling mistakes on the website or missing terms and conditions and imprints. In addition, these stores usually require payment by cash in advance. Thus, they collect the money and then never deliver the goods. To be on the safe side, it is best to pay by invoice or direct debit.
What you need to look out for in a cell phone subscription deal
Network providers also offer special deals on Black Friday. Use these tips to find the right deal for you. Compare the offers of the various providers and platforms carefully and ask yourself the following questions before you take the Black Friday cell phone subscription deal:
- What services do you actually need?
Many offers include roaming data and calls abroad, among other things. However, most of us don’t travel often enough for this offer to actually be worth it. This makes sense, for example, if you live close to the country’s border and the network likes to switch to a foreign one from time to time.
- How long is the discount valid?
Of course, it is especially worthwhile if the deal is valid for life. This means that you will benefit from the discount for as long as you are a customer of this product. So be on the lookout for unlimited discounts.
- How long is the contract period?
After all, you are bound to the price for the duration of the cell phone subscription contract – even if it may drop on the mobile market. It therefore makes sense to look for contracts with a short minimum term. That way, you can stay flexible and switch if the monthly amount is no longer right for you.
And where can I find these cell phone plan Black Friday deals?
Well, here with us! At alao, you can benefit from great Black Friday discounts on cell phone subscriptions, as well as Internet and TV subscriptions throughout November.
Your deal, your decision
With these tips and tricks, you’re sure to succeed in your Black Friday bargain hunt. But in the end, you have to decide which deal is really worth it to you and how much money you want to leave behind this Black Friday. Just make sure you’re shopping online on trustworthy websites. But now that you’re prepared: check out our Black Friday deals as well:
Quick and easy to get your perfect mobile phone subscription
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This article was first published on 9 October 2023 and updated on 11 November 2024.
