Parents are paying up to 70% extra buying top Christmas toys due to an easy mistake – how to avoid it
PARENTS are being ripped off by up to 70% through Christmas toy “sales” put on by retailers.
The Sun has found some hefty discrepancies in price between the big-name brands, some as much as £25.
It comes amidst Black Friday sales as retailers fight for customers during one of the busiest times of the year.
Sun Money checked a list of the top 10 most popular toys this year based on picks by experts at Amazon, Argos, Hamleys and Good Housekeeping.
From there, we’ve checked through the leading retailers’ prices for the exact same presents and found that parents could end up being overcharged by up to 70%.
Our research shows that it’s more important than ever to shop around.
Consumer expert Martyn James said: “Endless sales, misleading discounts, outright fibs.
“It’s almost impossible to know if you’re getting a bargain when shopping online. So arm yourself by being cynical about everything.”
Before splashing your cash on these toys, remember to check sites such as Price Spy and Idealo to find out if you can buy items cheaper at another store.
Free online price trackers like Price History and CamelCamelCamel will also give you an idea of whether you can save cash by buying it later in the year
HOW PRICES DIFFER
Prices between retailers differ widely.
For example, we found that the Hot Wheels City Ultra Car Wash set costs £60 at Asda but just £34.99 at Smyths, Amazon, and Very.co.uk. That’s a £25 markup.
Meanwhile, the Furby Galaxy Electronic Plush has a huge £20 price difference depending on where you pick up the gadget.
At Hamleys, you’ll pay £74.99, while at The Entertainer, Amazon or Smyths Toys you’d pay £54.99.
For those of you with little ones, if you’re looking to pick up Numberblocks Five’s Musical Superstar Stage set – you could be looking at being overcharged £15.
That’s because at Littlewoods online you’d pay £63.99, but at Ryman stationery chain you’d pay just £48.99.
Parents of budding boy racers could be looking at paying over £10 more for the Scalextric Micro James Bond 007 Set if they shop at Very instead of Amazon.
The two retailers are selling the same set for £70 and £59.95 respectively.
We also found that a Disney Princess Moana Singing Doll cost £29.99 at Hamleys and just £20 at The Entertainer. A £9.99 reduction.
*prices correct at the time of writing
Martyn said: “As this essential research from the Sun shows, the price for some of the most ‘in-demand’ items can vary considerably between retailers.
“So it’s vital that you shop around and don’t just stick to the big shops.”
Take a chance
Retailers tend to respond to demand and prices may drop, particularly if they host Black Friday or pre-Christmas sales.
Many retailers extend their return and exchange policies during this time of year.
So if you are prepared and buy your toys too early you could return them and get a refund and then buy at the lower discounted price.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that some stores may offer cashback through providers like Top Cashback or Quidco and that means you could get some of your money back when you shop.
This could help ease the financial burden of the festive season.
The biggest thing to remember is that several of the above retailers mentioned are online only – such as Amazon, Very and Littlewoods – which means you will most likely need to pay for delivery.
We haven’t factored the fees into our comparison above because several of the brands offer free delivery over a certain amount and charge different fees depending on the size of the item.
So how much you pay will really depend on your basket.
How to compare prices and get the best deal
Just because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal.
Martyn added: “Shops rely on you being loyal and making snap purchases. So, view every offer as dodgy and spend a few minutes finding the best deal.”
There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web.
Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and supermarkets.
Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers.
All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.
CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories