Top Five Black Friday Shopping Safety Tips

Shopping can be more stressful at this time of year – and may even be more dangerous. Contrary to popular belief, "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving) is rarely the busiest shopping day of the year: that honor is usually reserved for the Saturday before Christmas. But as we lead up to the holidays, now is the time to start thinking shopping safety.

The term “Black Friday” has a long and interesting history (here’s a link that explains the term), but the most widely accepted definition is that the “red ink” representing many retail companies’ year-to-date losses turns to black ink (i.e. profits) starting with the day after Thanksgiving. Why? Because so many of us start our holiday shopping on that day that we can literally turn some companies profitable.

The bargains and early hours now associated with Black Friday have created their own challenges, along with the risk of you becoming a victim when shopping is your top priority. This is also a time when the bad guys are out in force, hoping to catch you unaware. FrontPoint wants your shopping experience to be as safe and stress-free as possible – so here is our Top Five list of Black Friday Shopping Safety Tips.

 

1. Try to shop with a friend or relative. There’s safety in numbers: one of you can watch what you have already purchased, while the other can line up for the next bargain. Never leave a package unattended.
2. Needless to say, always lock your vehicle and never leave packages in plain sight inside it. Put bags and parcels in the trunk, and be aware of people around you while you do.
3. Park in a well lighted area. Always look into the back seat of the car before you get into your vehicle. If you feel uneasy about going to your vehicle, ask one of the security guards to walk with you to your car.
4. Have a purse with straps long enough to go over your shoulder. Do not lay it down even for a second. Be careful showing the inside of your purse. Keep it zipped or locked until you are checking out. And be aware if someone starts jostling or rubbing up against you: that’s how pick-pockets draw away your attention.
5. If you are planning to be out for even a short while, lock your house securely and arm your alarm system (How do you arm your alarm system?). This is a perfect day for an intruder to target your home, since plenty of us are crawling the malls in search of those perfect presents.

And here’s a very important post-holiday home security tip, a few weeks ahead of time:

After the holidays it’s important to continue to protect your home, family and valuables from potential thieves by not advertising what your family received. Wait to put out your wrappings and empty boxes until right before the sanitation folks come to pick up. There are plenty of documented stories where thieves scoped out a neighborhood to see what people have purchased for the holidays, such as flat screen TV’s, computers, and high-end gaming systems – then came back later to help themselves.

We wish you and your family a most Happy Thanksgiving. This is a special time of year, when we can express gratitude for our health, our families, and whatever our particular blessings may be. At FrontPoint, we’re proud to provide something that homeowners value highly – the peace of mind that comes from protection that’s safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat. And we are very fortunate to serve a large and growing universe of homes and businesses across the country who are the most loyal customers in the alarm industry. While we have worked very hard to become the recognized leader in wireless home security, and the #1 ranked alarm company in the US, we still have much to be grateful for.