2013 Walmart Black Friday Frequently Asked Questions

A few days ago I posted about Walmart’s wristband policy for Black Friday and I’ve spent the time since then answering a lot of questions about the wristbands and Black Friday in general on FaceBook and Twitter.  I thought it would be helpful to bring all those questions together in one place and answer them so everyone can read them.

Here’s what you need to know first.  Walmart will have a staggered Black Friday sale with certain deals going live at 6PM Thursday, 8PM Thursday and 8AM Friday.  The 2 Thursday sale start times have certain items guaranteed in stock for 1 hour.  (Click here for a list of what is guaranteed at Walmart on Black Friday and when)

Here are your most Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I get the 2013 Walmart Black Friday guaranteed items?

This is the easiest thing in the world.  All you have to do to get a guaranteed item is show up within 1 Hour of that sales start time.  For instance, The Vizio 60” HDTV is Guaranteed In Stock for 1 Hour starting at 6PM Thursday Evening.  You show up anytime between 6-7PM and you will get a Vizio 60” HDTV for $688.  If your Walmart is sold out of a guaranteed item, they will sell you a Guarantee Card for that item.  Once you go home, go to walmart.com/1hourguarantee to register your card.  Once registered, sometime between Dec 1st and Dec 24th your item will be shipped to your local Walmart store for you to pick it up.  There is a bit of legalese at the bottom of this page you can read but that is basically it.

What do the wristbands mean?

Before the start times of each sale you can line up to receive a wristband for a guaranteed item.  All a wristband means is you are guaranteed to receive that particular item that day and not have to do the guarantee card thing described above.  You are limited to one wristband per item but you can buy multiples of the guaranteed items through the Guarantee Card program described above.  Wristbands are limited to available stock so once you receive a band you WILL get that product that day as long as you return to the line sometime in the 2 hours after the start of the sale.

What time will my Walmart open and how early should I arrive to get my wristband?

Your Walmart will be open its’ normal hours which for most of us is 24 hours so no standing outside in the cold.  The only thing that is first come-first serve are the wristbands.  I have no idea how early you should arrive to get the wristband.  I would think at least 30 minutes but use your discretion.

What should I buy?

Well, that’s up to you but Walmart does have their “Chosen by Kids” toys for you.  They used 1000 kids to select the 20 hottest toys of the year,  Click here to learn more.

Will they Price Match other stores prices?

Not only will they price match any local competetor’s printed ad, in most cases you won’t even have to price match because Walmart has already dropped their prices for you.  And if you buy something and someone puts it on sale for less than what you paid anytime between Nov 1st-Dec 24th, bring in your receipt to your local Walmart and they will give you the difference back on a giftcard.  (You can read more info abut the Walmart Christmas Price Match Policy here)

Any other questions? If so, leave them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.

2013 Walmart Black Friday Frequently Asked Questions