Get Black Friday benefits without the stress (A BF "hack" for Discover Card users)

[PedroDaGr8]

So here is a little trick that you can use if you have a Discover Card (2016: Citi and Chase are matching this as well). This exploits the fact that Discover Card will price-match (up to $500 difference per purchase and $2500/yr) any purchases you make on your Discover Card. DC has already confirmed they will PM Black Friday prices (as they did last year). This doesn't just apply to Black Friday Sales, but really applies to anything 90 days after purchase. So if you purchased something intending to price match the Black Friday price and it actually goes on sale even more right before Christmas (as has happened a few times in the past few years), you can still file a claim.
So what you do:

Keep an eye on the black friday sales on sites like http://www.BFADS.net
Find the item you want to buy on black friday and keep a copy of the ad itself (you might need a physical ad, not sure on this). You will need this copy later for price matching, of course.
Go into the store (or online) and purchase the item (remember it must have the same model number and you must purchase using your Discover card) you want BEFORE Black Friday. Note: it can be ANY store as long as it is the SAME model number. This is important for MORE savings. See below
Sit back and laugh at the people camping out to save $300 on the TV you already purchased
When Black Friday roles around (you can only file AFTER the sale has already started) call Discover Card (1-800-638-8312 is the direct line to the Price Protection Dept) to start your price match claim. They'll they will ask how you would like to process it. Select online option. You will then fill everything out here: https://cardbenefitcenter.com/oc-dc/app/login
Fill out the form. You will need a copy of your receipt and a copy of the advertisement. You can fill up to three claims per form (max $500 per item and $2500/yr).
Wait a few weeks for your price match check in the mail.


There are some exclusions. Namely, you can't price match used stuff, ebay purchases, jewelry, motor vehicles, coins or ANYTHING where you get a gift card back as part of the discount (even if the amount is less than full price you paid) check your membership details on the website for the full exclusions, there is nothing that sticks out as illogical.

Here is the full list of exclusions that I found, there might be a few more check your Discover Card Terms:



Claims made before Black Friday
Services
Any used, rebuilt, remanufactured or second-hand items
Consumable and perishable items including, but not limited to, food, fuel, oil, household products and cosmetics
Jewelry, travelers checks, tickets of any kind, negotiable instruments and bullion
Rare or precious coins or stamps, collectibles, antiques and art objects
Motorized vehicles and their parts including, but not limited to, boats, airplanes, automobiles, trucks and motorcycles
Floor models, demonstrator models and one-of-a-kind items
Live animals and live plants
Negotiated sales, one-of-a kind sales, cash-only sales
Close-out/liquidation/going-out-of-business sales but only as they relate to a business (not a particular item) going out of business
Employee discounts
Products purchased at Internet auction sites
Items advertised or shown as price quotes or bids from an Internet auction site
Items that are advertised as buy one, get one free or where the advertised price includes free offers or includes a bonus offer (such as a gift card)
Merchandise purchased through the redemption of Cashback Bonus or Miles in the Merchandise Center or Discover Exclusives on Discover.com
Digital downloads including, but not limited to, music, movies, books, mobile apps and eCertificates
Gift cards
Special discounts offered through a specific retailer membership or rewards program
Travel and travel-related services




Now I mentioned that it can be ANY store is important for savings. If it is the exact same model, then you can purchase online from ShopDiscover online bonus to get an extra 5% cashback. This means that ON TOP of the already dramatic BF savings, you can get an additional 5% off (amazon.com, department stores and clothing stores).

EDIT: Actually, the 5% rebate is on the LARGER price! So, in fact finding the HIGHEST price possible (as long as the price difference is less than $500 and it is one of those categories of stores) works to your benefit. Say you want to get a TV that will be on sale on BF for $399 and the regular price is $799. You purchase the TV at a store online (see https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/cashback-bonus/cashback-calendar.html for more details). You get $40 back for your 5% rewards, then your price match the TV to $399, the TV is now effectively $359!


Edit 2: if you use your discover card via ApplePay at Best Buy you get a 10% bonus, instead of 5%. must use Best Buy app to use Apple Pay


2016 EDIT: Citi and Chase Freedom cards now are also price matching BF prices

[Darrell KSR]

Pedro, thanks for the hack. Interesting.

The first exclusion you list gives me pause, however.

Claims made on purchases made before Black Friday

Am I reading that wrong, or is that saying that they are excluding any claim made on a purchase that happened to occur before Black Friday?

[PedroDaGr8]

Pedro, thanks for the hack. Interesting.

The first exclusion you list gives me pause, however.

Claims made on purchases made before Black Friday

Am I reading that wrong, or is that saying that they are excluding any claim made on a purchase that happened to occur before Black Friday?

Sorry, I edited that wrong, it had a different date in it. The list of exclusions was from another site and the list were copied over from last year. So in my process of editing it and updating it to this year, I mangled that line. It should read, claims made before Black Friday. I have fixed it now.

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks, Pedro. I told my wife that you had the best hacks of all kinds. I really enjoy reading your suggestions and comments, and always appreciate your thoughts.

This is a great opportunity.

[dan_bgblue]

My head hurts

[PedroDaGr8]

My head hurts
Lol, basically find a deal, but it early on your discover card, file for price match, laugh that you didn't have to wait for bf deals

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[Darrell KSR]

Pedro, do you have to buy it before black Friday, or could you do it after, too?

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[PedroDaGr8]

Pedro, do you have to buy it before black Friday, or could you do it after, too?

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If you want to price match black Friday prices, you have to purchase before black Friday.

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[Darrell KSR]

Thanks.

Do you have a favorite, or recommended Black Friday app? I have used a couple in the past, and all are reasonably good, with similar ratings, it seems.

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[PedroDaGr8]

Thanks.

Do you have a favorite, or recommended Black Friday app? I have used a couple in the past, and all are reasonably good, with similar ratings, it seems.

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Sorry for the delayed response, I was up in Lexington all weekend visiting family.

I haven't actually used a BF app before, though I might this year. I traditionally used BFAds.net and slickdeals.net. I might use the SlickDeals app, since I know them. Most of their BF forum seems to source stuff from BFAds.net.

[Darrell KSR]

No worries. I have and use the slick deals app. It probably would be easier for Black Friday to just sit at the computer, though.



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[Darrell KSR]

For what it is worth, I can't tell you how many things I bought that I did not realize I "needed" courtesy of the Slick Deals app. I have two Dell laser printers sitting in my kitchen that were delivered yesterday from it.

(Good ratings, wireless duplex laser printers. Two for $50. Each comes with a 700 page starter toner cartridge. But did I need it? )

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[Darrell KSR]

By the way, I love reading the SlickDealers' threads on things, even things over which I have no interest. Some of them are really good at this.

They get some great discounted price which is posted, then they use some gift card they purchased at 85-90 cents on the dollar, and somehow combine it with their Discover card deal to get 5% back, which is doubled because of something or another....anyway, they are very, very good at it. I often see some pretty high priced item purchased at less than 1/2 price, and I don't mean off MSRP, I mean off a true, real selling price. Often.

Here's my printer deal. Purchased from Staples. Current price is $129.99 for the printer:

http://www.staples.com/Dell-E310dw-Mono-Laser-Printer/product_1668833?PID=1225267&storeId=10001&AID=10921729&SID=1aa8bdac773811e5984a0265946b7e9a0000&cm_mmc=CJ-_-1225267-_-1225267-_-10921729&CID=AFF%3A1225267%3A1225267%3A10921729&CJPIXEL=CJPIXEL

Rated 10,000 pages per month, 27ppm, everything fine for my home use (and my daughter, who will get one).

Staples reviews 4.5/5 with 25 reviews.

Anyway, to get the deal I got--

You had to add the printer to your checkout, for $34.99 with Visa Checkout (had to use a Visa card to check out). Add a 2nd one for a total of $69.98. Then add a "filler" -- I got 100 pages of looseleaf paper for $1. That made the total $70.98, with $20 off for using Visa Checkout, so two were purchased for $50.98.

I was just going to get one, and then saw how they did it to get the 2nd one for $15, and couldn't resist.

That wasn't even major posturing like they do on some of them with coupon codes, double discounts, cash back, you name it, but pretty good deal for me. Even if I didn't need it :).

[PedroDaGr8]

That's a hell of a deal! Slick deals is great for stuff like Thai, like you said, there are some wizards there

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[Darrell KSR]

Hopefully the hack will be around this BF, too....as we get closer, always interested.

I miss the days when we used to team up--my wife would take 3 kids with her, drop them at stores (uhh, they were of sufficient age), and I would man the computer for online sales that began at 5 a.m. CT (like Staples).

[PedroDaGr8]

Hopefully the hack will be around this BF, too....as we get closer, always interested.

I miss the days when we used to team up--my wife would take 3 kids with her, drop them at stores (uhh, they were of sufficient age), and I would man the computer for online sales that began at 5 a.m. CT (like Staples).

Should be, in fact more cards appear to have adopted this policy price match policy (though Discover is the only one I know that explicitly pricematches BF pricing). My Chase Freedom Rewards card which is a Visa Signature card, has a similar price match policy. I have contacted Chase to confirm that price matching will apply to Black Friday sales and will update the thread if so. As an aside, I have MADE almost $300 this year in rewards from this card (since I never carry a balance).

[PedroDaGr8]

Hopefully the hack will be around this BF, too....as we get closer, always interested.

I miss the days when we used to team up--my wife would take 3 kids with her, drop them at stores (uhh, they were of sufficient age), and I would man the computer for online sales that began at 5 a.m. CT (like Staples).

Just called Chase and they said that as long as the item would be otherwise covered by the price match policy, it will be covered for BF deals as well. Citi card now explicitly states on their website that BF deals are included. So it is more than just discover card.

[Darrell KSR]

Fantastic, Pedro! Thanks for the advance research and response. Will come in handy.