Black Friday started out in the United States and marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, but it has become an excellent opportunity for commerce in many different countries to attract customers and increase their sales, Costa Rica is no exception.

Since early in November many retail shops announce their promotions for the “Black Month”, “Black Weekend” or “Black Week”, discounts come and go, some prices are actually great deals while others are tricky marketing strategies.

Some Costa Ricans are waiting for the clock to mark midnight on Friday, November 24 to jump online to take advantage of the incredible deals and avoid the crowds that fill the shopping centers and malls.

Take into consideration that for many stores this is a great opportunity to get rid of old inventory and make space for the new collections, so, when shopping for clothes, make sure you really love what you are getting and that the price is right.

Some of the complaints shoppers have during this day include the fact that prices for a particular item are raised in the days or weeks prior to Black Friday and lowered for the Black Friday “promotion” so at the end of the day the article actually ends up costing the same or the saving is much lower than what they claim. False advertisement is another common complaint; it is important that you read the small letters and “restrictions apply” information included in the advertisement. You can always file a complaint with the Costa Rican Consumer Defense Entity if you feel your rights as a consumer are being violated.

Some of the stores announcing Black Friday deals in Costa Rica:

Universal: This department store has 30% discount in Christmas decorations, (15% in trees and lights), 25% discount in Lego products, 30% in suitcases and up to 75% discount on selected toys. Promotions run through November 27.

Aliss: The 11 locations are offering a 30% discount in the entire store (restrictions apply) starting November 24 and through the 26.

Ekono: This store will open doors at 6 a.m., they will offer discounts in all their departments up to a 70%, and will apply an additional 10% discount for those clients that shop between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Cemaco: Open from 8 a.m. through midnight, Cemaco has promotions in all its departments and surprises every 3 hours. Discounts will also be available at the Jugueton Stores by Cemaco, which focuses on children toys.

If you shop in Multiplaza Escazú or Multiplaza Curridabat this weekend, all your purchases of more than 25 thousand colones earn you an electronic entry for a raffle and you could win a brand new Mitsubishi Outlander. All you have to do is take your invoices to the information kiosk.