Surviving the Summer Sales!

It’s that time of year again! The warm weather and the beginning of the summer don’t only herald the end of the school year and well deserved time off from work….they also signal the start of the summer sales!!

Even though the date changes from region to region, traditionally the opening of the major sales season is at the beginning of July. And, every year, this event  is anticipated with much excitement ….just imagine the satisfaction of purchasing at a bargain price the exact item that you have been admiring in the shop windows for so long without any hope of affording it!!! Nobody would miss such a chance!!! It’s true that during the sales, you have a great opportunity of getting fantastic bargains. However, the crowds, the rush and, sometimes even the anxiety of trying to grab that amazing offer, can put so much pressure on you that you miss out on the best bargains, or buy things that turn out not to be a great deal after all, leaving a hint of bitterness in the mouth!!! And, without mentioning the rip-offs which you have to constantly beware of…

However, what we have just said doesn’t mean that during the sales period you can’t make satisfying purchases, on the contrary: well specified agreements aiming to protect the rights of consumers have been established. With a little bit of caution and following some easy rules and few quick tips, you will be able to fill your bags with genuine bargains, conscious of having made the most of what the shops are offering.

So, how is it possible to avoid being cheated during the sales season? Here some useful suggestions:

• Check the prices long before the sales start: from now on, while the shop windows are displaying the new collections, look for the items you like best, trying to remember the model, and the price, overall, so that you’ll be able to see what the genuine savings are if you purchase it in the sale.

• Don’t let yourself be caught up in a buying frenzy: it’s always useful to visit as many shops as you can, especially the most reliable, without stopping at the first one; in this way you’ll have the opportunity of comparing prices with those shown in other shops;

• Have a clear idea of what you’re looking for before you start shopping, even writing a list: if you enter a shop already knowing what you need, you’ll avoid the risk of going back home laden with stuff that you really don’t need, however good the prices, and which you’ll never use!! For this reason, our suggestion is to restrict superfluous purchases, and concentrate, instead, on those items you really do need;

• Goods on sale should clearly display on the label: the original price, the percentage of discount and, finally, the discounted price;

• Goods on sale should be from the collection of the season just coming to an end, and not from previous ones. This is why you should mistrust all those shops that, up to a week before the beginning of the sales, were low on stock, and now, as if by magic, suddenly have a full range, worthy of Harrod’s! At the end of the season in fact, it is rare to find a shop which is fully stocked with every size and product, even more unusual for one to be able to increase its range, without bringing in old, out-of-date stock;

• Keep the receipt after the purchase: if you realize that the purchased item is damaged, defective or does not conform to the description, you can change it within 60 days. If an exchange is impossible, for example because your size in that T-shirt is sold out, you can ask for a price reduction or a refund of the amount paid. Mind you: do not accept coupons because, referring to the sales goods, they won’t be valid anymore at the end of the sales season;

• Mistrust any discounts over 50%: generally they hide goods from past seasons since very few retailers can offer such large reductions. However, if you feel sure that this is a really valid and advantageous offer, do not hesitate…..you don’t find such an offer every day!!!

• Shops that display in their windows the sign offering payment by credit card, have to accept this method of payment for sales goods too.

If you keep all these simple suggestions in mind, you can throw yourself wholeheartedly into the multitude of shops and department stores, that are ready to offer you their items and products at really convenient prices!!!

Here below we are listing the official dates for the 2009 sales season in the most important Italian cities:

Milan – July the 4^th ; Rome – July the 5^th; Pescara – July the 11^th; Florence – July the 12^th….. and for all those who might decide to spend their holidays in our home town, we remind you that in San Benedetto del Tronto the sales will start from July the 7^th.

So, prudence and caution first…but if you don’t have any other doubts, do not hesitate to buy those fantastic handbags you’ve been dreaming of wearing for months at a very advantageous price!!! Hurry!!