Black Friday FAQ
Posted on November 1, 2020 by GottaDEAL StaffWhat is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving (November 24th this year) when most retailers traditionally have their biggest sales of the year, although you probably already knew that by now considering you found the site. For a more detailed history of Black Friday, see below.
Where are the sale ads?
The sale ads that we have will appear on the GottaDEAL web site available here. This site will provide lists of the ad items including links to the item pages on store web sites when available.
Where are the actual scanned ads?
Scanned versions of ads we've obtained in PDF format are available exclusively on our forum. If you don't already have one, you should register for an account on the forum to access these very popular scanned versions of the Black Friday ads. You can also view the full pages here on the main site.
When do the ads start appearing?
We expect the first ads to appear on the site in mid October. Although ads have started appearing earlier for the past few years, so anytime in October is fair game. If you or someone you know has access to the ads early, please contact us. If you can give us an exclusive look at the ad early, there is a good chance you'll be rewarded for your help.
When do the ads come in the newspaper?
Traditionally, the actual printed ads come with your newspaper on Thanksgiving Day, however in some areas they will be in the paper on Wednesday or on Black Friday itself. Some stores only have digital ads available on their site and do not print ads any longer. Some retailers occasionally distribute their ads sooner, either with the newspaper or in the mail. Some stores have the ads at the actual stores days in advance of Black Friday as well.
How can I find out when new ads are posted?
Well, you can continue coming to the site every day to check, or we'll make it easy on you - just enter your e-mail address on this page. We will then e-mail you instantly every time we post a new ad on the site. You can also use our RSS feed (see the link at the bottom of the page) to follow the latest site news and updates. Finally, you can follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.
I represent a store and I don't like your site posting our ad. What can I do?
We'd suggest that you first consider the free advertising this site is providing your store, as well as the potential bad press that would result from demanding that your ad is removed. However, if you'd still like to chat with us, please use the contact form on the site to drop us a line. If we're not too busy, we'll get back to you ;)
I represent a store and I'd love for your site to post our ad. What can I do?
Ah, we like you already :) If you represent a legitimate brick & mortar (offline) retailer, feel free to use the contact form on the site to send us information about your Black Friday plans. Please be sure to let us know you are the actual retailer and give us contact information should we have any questions. Of course we reserve the right to reject any ad for any reason.
Do retailers allow price matching or returning & re-buying for BF items?
Good question, however there is no set answer for this. Each retailer makes their own decisions and policies, and those can even change from year to year. Your best bet is to contact the retailer directly to get their price matching policy. Some stores that allow it during the year won't allow it during Black Friday. Different stores in different areas might have different policies as well. Our forum is a good place to find updated information on this issue because of the wealth of information we get from our members across the country.
What about price matching and layaway?
In the vast majority of cases, each store will set it's own policy regarding price matching and layaway as it relates to Black Friday. Many times the stores' policies change year to year, so posting a new thread will not likely get you a confirmed answer. Therefore we suggest you contact your individual store to see what their policy will be, and then let us know what they say by posting on the forum.
I might have access to an ad early. How do I share it with you?
We like you too :) If you or someone you know can get either the actual ad or a list of items, please submit that information using the contact form. You can either be completely anonymous, or let us know who you are for a possible reward.
Can I get these deals online?
Again, this varies on a store-by-store, and item-by-item basis. There is no way to know when or if a particular item will be available online at the BF price. As Black Friday gets closer, we will have a big page listing every single item we find that is available at the BF price or cheaper. We will make sure you are aware of this, so as long as you keep coming back to the site, you won't miss anything. Many of the items become available online beginning Thanksgiving Day.
Can you tell me more about a certain item?
If we don't have the scanned ad posted and the item is not linked to the store's web site, some good places to search for info are Google and Amazon. Or check the forum - we have thousands of helpful members who might be able to give you some info about a certain item.
How can I help support the site?
We're glad you asked :) We don't want your money, we don't accept donations, we don't have annoying pop-up ads. If you appreciate what we are doing with the Black Friday site, the best thing you can do is just spread the word. Tell your family, friends and co-workers about it, post a link on other sites (without spamming) - anything to let others know about the site. Purchasing items online through links on the site also helps cover our costs.
Any other questions?
If you have any other questions, comments or suggestions about the site, use the contact form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Much more information is available on the forum. The forum is an invaluable source for the latest news, ads and discussion about all things Black Friday, so if you haven't registered yet, what are you waiting for?
