The biggest retail event of the year is nearly upon us and the Black Friday camera deals have already started to roll in. But while it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of finding and jumping on the best mirrorless camera deal, navigating Black Friday isn’t only about perusing the web or stores for great offers.
If you’re willing to put a little work in, you can land yourself an even better deal by taking advantage of price match promises. You’d be surprised how many retailers are willing to match prices, and while you might think: "What’s the point of contacting a retailer just so they match the price of something I can get elsewhere?" Well, there are plenty of reasons...
If you price match with a retailer that offers cheaper delivery, you could end up saving money that way. Similarly, price matching may enable you to buy multiple items from the same store, mitigating multiple delivery fees. If you have a favorite retailer – who you know offers great customer service and prompt delivery – you may prefer to buy from them. And finally, you may opt to go with the retailer who offers the best warranty.
Where applicable, I’ve listed links to retailers' T&Cs, so make sure you read them carefully. Expect those who offer price-matching services to only match like-for-like items, products that are in stock and immediately available, as well as excluding some discounts and promotional offers, such as voucher codes and cashback.
While they’re unlikely to price match, don’t forget to visit manufacturers’ online stores directly. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, OM System, DJI, Apple and more, all have official online stores. Head straight to the source, and you never know, you might spot an exceptional, exclusive deal.
And of course, make sure you keep coming back to Digital Camera World over Black Friday for information on all the best photography deals.
B&H Photo
B&H is one of the largest electronics retailers in the US and a prime place to pick up some great Black Friday camera deals. The retailer makes it clear that it tries to keep its prices as competitive as possible, but it does offer a price-matching service.
B&H states: "If you find a lower price for an immediately available product, your purchase may be eligible for price matching." You can start a live chat, send an email or phone in during business hours to find out if a potential product is eligible.
Best Buy
Electronics retailer, Best Buy, has huge stores all across the US and Canada, so expect plenty of tantalizing deals during Black Friday. It has a Price Match Guarantee, but do make sure you check the T&Cs to ensure the product in question is eligible as the usual exclusions apply.
Better yet, Best Buy operates a Holiday Price Match Guarantee, stating: "If our price goes lower during the holiday season, we’ll match it." This runs between November 1 and December 31. However, Best Buy does note: "The Guarantee does not apply to price matching competitor’s prices." And that most products – not all – are eligible.
Walmart
The retail giant has already launched some early Black Friday deals, and you can be sure there are some real zingers on the horizon. But while a price-match policy does exist, it’s a little muddy. Essentially, Walmart only price matches its own website. So if you find an item in-store that’s cheaper on walmart.com, you may be able to price match. However, there are some exclusions. Most importantly, Black Friday.
Walmart's policies and guidelines state: "Sorry, we do not match (...) Walmart.com prices that are on special events (including (...) Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, or other limited-time promotions)". It doesn’t price match between its brick-and-mortar stores, either, and it won’t price match with any competitors.
Target
The mammoth retailer has a generic price-match policy and a holiday price-match policy. The former will price match against Target.com, Amazon and Walmart, and you can request price matches in-store or online. However, like Walmart, you cannot price match between brick-and-mortar Target stores. Do make sure you check the T&Cs as there are various exclusions.
The holiday price-match policy differs slightly. In-store or online purchases made between November 7 and December 24, 2024, may be eligible for price matching if Target lowers the price within said timeframe.
Adorama
The camera and electronics retailer does not appear to offer an official price-matching service. But some early bird Black Friday deals have already gone live. The site also features a main Black Friday countdown, with the opportunity to subscribe to the Adorama newsletter so you can stay ahead of the game when the main Black Friday deals land on November 29.
Amazon US
The world's largest online retailer doesn't offer a price-matching service but is known for constantly amending its prices to match or beat other retailers. You can be confident that Amazon's Black Friday deals are extremely competitive. Still, it never hurts to shop around, just in case...
MPB
The used camera specialist was founded in 2011. It offers a very slick service for selling photographic equipment and provides buyers with some great deals on second-hand cameras, lenses, accessories and more.
MPB does not appear to offer price matching. However, it does have a price promise, where it states it, "provides the right price for every piece of gear based on make, model, cosmetic condition, and market". You can also get a free instant quote by filling out a simple online form and providing your email.
Hoping to get the best deals possible this Black Friday? Check out our Nikon Black Friday deals, Canon Black Friday deals and Sony Black Friday Deals.
