Black Friday sales

[rugbygirl]

Can anyone tell me if the black friday sales on the day after thanksgiving are 'one day only sales'? Or is it like our boxing day sales which carry on in the days afterwards? Like a good bargain but not sure about fighting the crowds on the friday if there will still be bargains in the days afterwards.

Also read on a thread from earlier this year that the duty free allowance was due to change on 1st December 2008. Does anyone know if this is actually happening as we don't fly home till 10th December so any changes would apply to us?

Grateful for any info on either query

[ShirleyD]

The sales carry on!!! It is just that you will get bigger discounts first thing 'earlybird discounts'. If you head away from the tourist areas, the early morning scrum is not so bad.

I spoke to the customs people at Gatwick last week and they hadn't even heard the rate was due to change, but I'm sure someone will know where to look up the latest information

[LiesaAnna]

yeh we loved it.... 2 holidays in florida on the trot, 1st dec -16th dec 2002 and 2004 we bought so much stuff!!!! the sakles were incredible like give away prices!!!

[brendawilliams]

This month will be the first time we are at the villa during the black friday sales so I think it may be a must, just to go through the experience.

[sammibabe]

Can you enlighten me on these sales? When are they? And why Black Friday sale? Sorry if I'm being dense and it's obvious!

[ShirleyD]

I have no idea why they are called black Friday sales, but they happen on the day after Thanksgiving, which is always the 4th Thursday in November.

[Cruella DeVilla]

It's because you come home black and blue after a day at these sales

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by sammibabe
Can you enlighten me on these sales? When are they? And why Black Friday sale? Sorry if I'm being dense and it's obvious!
[/quote]

I recently asked the same question:

http://www.orlando-guide.info/forums/topic_47508.asp

I have since looked a little further into it and I'm not really convinced that it has anything to do with stores "being in the black".

The term seems to be a fairly recent innovation (1970's) and is actually connected to the traffic conditions that people experience getting to the sales.

[rugbygirl]

Thanks for the info so far, will need to decide whether to sharpen my elbows for the friday, or wait for the lesser bargains in the days afterwards.

Still be good to hear any info on the customs changes, if indeed there are any.
thanks

[ShirleyD]

This is the latest information I can find, but it is dated January 2008 and doesn't seem to be confirmed


Wednesday, 23 January 2008, 14:53 GMT
Duty free limit rises in December
The duty free allowance for holidaymakers travelling to the UK from outside the European Union is set to more than double to 430 euros (£320).

But the increased tax free limit will only apply from 1 December this year.

Tory Lord Marlesford said the new level might cause confusion because Gordon Brown, as chancellor, said in 2005 and 2006 he wanted it to rise to £1,000.

But Deputy Chief Whip Lord Davies said "other countries took different views" when the plan was put to the EU.

He said EU finance ministers agreed the 430 euros tax-free allowance for travellers entering the EU by sea and air on 28 November 2006.

Escape prosecution?

However, the EU directive which implemented the change was only adopted on 20 December 2007, meaning the earliest date the increase could be introduced was 1 December, this year.

During his Budget speech in 2005, Mr Brown said he had written to the European Commission "proposing that the tax free limit on goods brought into the UK from outside the EU should rise from £145 to £1,000".

DUTY FREE ALLOWANCE

* 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco
* 2 litres of still table wine
* 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs
* 60cc/ml of perfume
* 250cc/ml of toilet water
* £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs


Speaking in the Lords, Lord Marlesford said Mr Brown repeated that proposal in his 2006 Budget - but it was not mentioned the following year.

He asked if a traveller from outside the EU who goes through the green channel with up to £1,000 in goods could escape prosecution if they "genuinely, if mistakenly, took Gordon Brown's Budget speech at face value".

Lord Davies of Oldham said while that was an "interesting proposal", Mr Brown, as chancellor, had simply been "putting forward a proposal for discussion in the European Community".

"A number of other countries in the European Union took different views and it has taken this long to reach agreement," he said.