have to agree on the day. though willis report is next. gerri: hello. i am gerri lewis -- gerri bolus to a special edition over the next hour we bring the user's guide to holiday shopping to downloading the best holiday apps all hour-long to the consumer the christmas shopping season is to kick off on black friday but many retailers started to open the doors today. we'll have more coming up the revenge of brick and mortar online retailersli feeling he has made the besthe b

deals are offered at actual stores.r joining me now to assess consumer and money-saving expert.r think you for coming on. the big trend is people gohe with their smart phone into the store they turn on the tv then they go home and buy them online. the you say there is a new trend? >> is the exact oppositewhen where consumers would get products online or on theirand tablet or mobile device thato go into the store to makee the purchase we see approximately 65% of consumers that well webroom this season so retailers are doing something right to get people into the door. gerri: talk about those

brick and mortar retailers who gets the edge? >> if we look at best buy a great example of a chain in the early 2012 they announced shutting down 50 a stores nationwide moving toep smaller store atmosphere.k i now getting back into the g game with exclusive products they announce the samsung galaxy only offered at best buys so retailers get withtu manufacturers to offer -- exclusive products. also best buy only has the bar code on the productsot they cannot be comparedan there is also the enhancement with the s customer shopping experience and also holidays events. gerri: let's get to theou things that you absolutely want to buy.

number one is the phone what else should i go in for? >> products that make sense we you touch them or feel the hub also stores that are don't have the on-line presence like t.j. max or marshall saw word discounted merchandise all sold big-ticket appliances to get their product expert opinionhe to look at the deals it pays to shop in the store and compare those productshe.i gerri: what am i better offne finding online? oh what about the door busters?ight >> if they are limitedtity quantities of less you wait in line for hours you can have those retailers pushing those deals all throughout the day. also you can buy gift cardsn

on line to save money because those that sell the unwantedis gift cards to savef an average of 12%.ho those accessories and sto add-ons are never added on an. i found it in the cable for $20 at best by theas o amazon it was $2.54.ee gerri: i have seen that so many times myself.ie look bad best by. 20 bucks it is only $2 and on amazon? r the differences are amazing. >> you can ask those stores to price match brick and mortar is offering to price match online stores this season.he >> best buy for example,

says if you can find a dog might have a different price tellus a and we will match it. is what is the process? how will they make good on that promise? t >> it makes sense to haveicie the store policy you want to print out the product page or have it on your phone with a price scanning toolo then go to the sales associate i know target yet to go to customer service desk at best buy you could go to any associate to get price match right there but some stores may offer to give you a better deal to get your dollars it is worth it to ask. gerri: they did not try to underprice just trying to match. it is fascinating.

they will fight it out a and they see the expectation get will be lower about trying to get there is now. great job. >> 8q for having me. joining me now with advice consumer savings experts from promotional codes.com. i want to drill down. what are the best retailers to check out?k >> this is the one time of the year we have seen this with electronics. if you look at that i pad checkout applek.. macy's zero or wal-mart. th so we can expect the deals to match that. gerri: and wal-mart will be competitive in a matter what >> looked at the store is

open on thanksgiving lowe's get the whole list best buy, and macy's, a target, even office fax and of course, seers what shouldwhat people be buying on black friday but is a good deal? >> with electronics you don't care about the brand that is something that is wonderful. in then to see deals on apparel but those also be matched on line but that does not mean you have to. housewares is always a great thing to buy. gerri: in height and pots and pans?ll b >> there will be on sale black friday keep your eyes open. gerri: not winter coats? they still try to get top dollar skidded you have to wait for this season to change wait for january.

gerri: people walked into the store assuming every sale is a good sale but that a is not trues? >> some things you want to wait for cybermondaypa anything like a vacation package anything not brick and mortar wait until cybernday monday then also one prep -- black friday checkout all of the electronics. gerri: don't buy toys? why not? >> wait for the two weeksg up leading up to christmas those will get even greater. >> but moms tell me they are afraid that they will run out. >> if they're still on sale but calling for a the end deepest deal wait the two weeks before christmast. >> for the holiday apparel

wait intel jay you very. >> it is the clearance rack0% at 60% off and that is when you went to buy the deals also the debris and na television when the 2014s models rollout been 22 -- 20 truth -- 2013 models are on sale. gerri: it is tricky. >> you have to do your research. gerri: taken for having me. including a look at them mustache shopping app and rip-off artist and identity thieves are just part of the holiday shopping season. we will tell you how to protect yourself. we went out and asked people a simple question: how old is the oldest person you've known?

we gave people a sticker and had them show us. we learned a lot of us have known someone who's lived well into their 90s. and that's a great thing. but even though we're living longer, one thing that hasn't changed much is the official retirement age. ♪ the question is how do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years. ♪

gerri: welcome back to a of a user's guide to shopping and a warning now.jo joining me now senior projects editor come up welcome back to the show. the issue today if you are t shopping on-line you cannot tell the good guys from theeb bad guys if you use a web siteou for the first time

never seen before if you rely on bad design to clue you in then forget about it. >> the scam artist is so good they can fool just like the above site looksea legitimate does not mean is.n they are set up to steal your identity or credit card information or those and have counterfeit goods or questionable practices to bring low prices but only if you buy extra items a few buy a digital camera only to learn they bundled theou battery charger dow miraculously t cost extra. you have to read the fine print. gerri: that is a knowing. is there a magic solution? >> common sense has to prevail. a shot that well knowno reputable retailers a look for patterns suspicious behavior before shopping at

the unfamiliar sight to look for complaints or confirm they have a physical address a a end use a credit card not a debit see you can't dispute if there is a shenanigan. gerri: that it makes so much sense to confirm they had aec real address. what if i get a defective o product. it is a holiday season ordering at the last minute joh now i realize it is broken what do i do?no >> getting back to the fine print sometimes they say they are sold as is that is rarely seen in the walk-inin store so they disclaimed the implied warranty and that is very important. aid is the and writte

assurance to do the right to reject a defectiveites merchandise. many sites say customers can return defective item usually around 30 days but after that many tell you to deal directly with the review facture that meanso you have to ship it backr your own expense in babyns wait weeks for a refurbished product. gerri: should be shot in the real world? >> ideally but big name legitimate retailers as aan great track record spell out carefully the shipping cost the of the return policy is and make it transparent to. gerri: then i give them my personal information i hope they don'to abuse it. how do i know that? credit card number and address or age? >> we could have a whole hourlong show to talk about that. s

those companies could take information but before giving personal data reid that privacy policy hollister has a 4600 word policy many retailers wantit you to provide information to share with others so a assumeny any time that you like a site these companies you can access your information through your smart phones and you have to opt out so be very careful to provide credit card information all l the over the secure connection look for the magic letters https. also the padlock. gerri: bet every teenager hopes that-- spam them they

will have that door wide open. >> is a generational problem. he will be back later but looking as we take patrick to fao schwarz in the user's guide to shopping continues with of the get the must have shopping apps. don't leave home without them. as a business owner, i'm constantly putting out fires. so i deserve a small business credit card with amazing rewards. with the spark cascard from capital one, i get 2% cash back on ery purchase, every day. i break my back around here. finally soone's recognizing me with unlimited rewards! meetings start at 11, cindy. [ male announcer get the spark business card from capital one. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every d. what's in your wallet? i need your timesheets, larry!

yep. got all thcozies. [ grandma ] with n fedex one rate, i could ll a box and ship it r one flat rate. so i kn untilt was full. you'd be crazy not to. is tt nana? [ male announcer ] fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex.

gerri: our special "users guide to shopping" with age list of must have apps to i save time and money. john, welcome back to the show use start with the caps i have never heard o about. >> is essentially this onere compares prices withto restorers but in reality it is like electronic retail the you can pick and choose and create your own shopping list and it will let you know, when those items go on sale like the lazy man's approach you don't have to

go to the retailer web site to find the item that hasn gone on sale. l gerri: that is what i want to do the work for me.hool now talk about the old school version of this has everybody thinking about the ddt in a and shopping with your smart phone. how does it work?ro >> you walk around the store looking like this. gerri: like what? we missed you. >> like this looking at the bar code it is incrediblyiv addictive see anything that have a bar code to help it allows you to compariso shop the item right there on your phone without leaving a

the comfort oft your home orr one retailer. most of the time you will find the best price online. gerri: brick and mortar guys are trying and best buy saidin they will match not every one but they know the deals will be lower. you have selected one ddt that is straight up personal finance. >> the best way to manage our money one of the problems during holidays to budget to know where our dollar goes you what is the distribution. almost like a command center b from the brokerage account t to the loans to the savings account all in one location y you can see every single oneer of your accounts and most

importantly where your money is going. gerri: i know. not a good place. >> this is a lazy man'sy approach remember you get the newspaper and you would block all day afternoon sent to sort them?e retail me not does that for you. it sends the smart phone with retailers you are smart enough it is smart enough toou learn if i use a coupon from turkey will keep sending those because it takes the paper out of the equation. gerri: very nice. but one that we did not talk about people the party during the holidays.

tell us about that. >> this one. uber this is the motto to follow if you drink too much a not at the christmas party. cheaper than the idea why. it uses this march from location technology to find you a car or a bright sheer type that is less expensive. i test this out all the time it has never let me down. within fiber to admit it's i have a car pulling up it has the honorable the credit-card the dotage stage monday with the driver. gerri: that tells me a lot about your lifestyle. [laughter] >> lazy but safe. gerri: our gift cards created equal? what should you look for before purchasing one of

these guests? our "users guide to shopping" continues as i go to one iconic store in america looking at the best ways ever. ♪ [ male announcer ] they are a glowing example of what it means to be the best. and at this special time of year, they shine even bright. come to the winter event and get the mercedes-benz you've always wished for, now for an exceptional price. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho, ho! [ male announcer ] lease the 2014 e350 for $579 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer.

gerri: en do you like to relive childhood memories? to relive charles's mallory's? that is what we're doing with the user's guide to shopping. we visited the legendary stores -- toy store at ao schwarz with a special tour of toys that are as popular today as they were decades ago. >> welcome, have a great time. >> he coin. >> want to hear my version of beethoven?

look at this massive piano from the movie big. great to have you here. are you ready to play. let's talk about monopoly. what do you know about this board game? >> it started as a game that was out to teach people how thought was that the money gouging landlords. >> wait. i've learned to be a capitalist from monopoly. >> people thought that was so much more fun than learning a moral message to be kind to other people. they love to bankrupting their friends and family. that is the game that got turned into the classic that in do is to the present. >> might little brother had hot wheels. >> there had never been such a car before. cars were slow. one of the founders of mattel realize that and wanted a fast, like, hot rods seen in southern california. he saw hot rod in a motel

parking lot and claimed the those are hot wheels and the names stock and they have been a scale sensation ever since. more than three billion made. >> look at this. this is the ultimate etch-a-sketch. >> the nt is one i have never seen listed as with the original name of etch-a-sketch when it was created in france in 1915 and that all the magic screen. >> so sparkly. it does the same thing as the old one? >> all through the wonder of static cling. >> that is what it is? >> what happened in your dryer with acrylic sweaters run this etch-a-sketch. no battery, no chips. >> how old is this idea? >> was a hit in the 1960 christmas season. they couldn't keep them in stock fierce selling so fast. >> so much fun. slinky, one of my favorite. >> it was a device to cushion naval vessels instruments in

world war ii. it was a crummy at that but made a great coin. it has persisted from metal, plastic, not to walk them downstairs. gerri: that is my favorite thing to do. talk about these hula hoops. they are popular but were they always made out of plastic? >> they started as bamboo hoops in australia for exercise. to the miracle of molded plastic, they turned into a fantastic that. gerri: let me try. in heels. >> the less you move the better it is. you got it. excellent. gerri: this guy may have legos. they were not always made of plastic. >> one thing about classic voyages they evolve to survive. they were wooden when they started out and it wasn't until they got molded out of plastic and had the tubes on the bottom that they could really stick

together and make amazing creations. gerri: what forms are they making? >> you can think of legos without thinking of star wars or harry potter. they are the perfect application of what lego is today. it has gotten so streamlined since they removed the 100 what lightbulb they started with. gerri: that is what i remember. >> you come without an electric light bulb, now has a built-in electric element like your household range. it works better than ever before. more delicious things you slide through, slide out. gerri: mr. potato head. not only made out of plastic. >> in 1952 when he made his debut you had to bring an actual potato. they found potatoes under beds and floors and closets probably not so thrilled and he turned

into a plastic potato we know and love today. gerri: a lot of fun. we are surrounded by plush toys, panthers, pandas but it is the teddy bear everyone talks about. how did it get started? >> hard to believe it started as a hunting trip by president theodore roosevelt in 1902. he was having a lousy time hunting, couldn't bag anything so the folks he was traveling with stake out a bare for him to shoot and he said that was not fair game, refused to shoot it, turned into a political cartoon with an adorable cab and that bear got reproduced in plush. gerri: we're surrounded by other plush animals. >> large animals, nothing like a teddy bear to put to bed at night and snuggle up with and those teddy bears get loved to death. gerri: let's talk about barbies.

every girl has of barbie doll but they are different from the ball before them. >> there were only babydoll your friend dolls. she was the first that helped to envision how you would be as a grown-up. gerri: i never looked like that in any of my days. >> barbie was based on a german doll that came before her. ruth handler was traveling in germany and sought this fall. it wasn't meant for the liberals which was meant for men as a gag gift, based on a cartoon in a men's magazine. tells you about her dimensions. gerri: this is the original barbie, the first one. take a look at this girl. how attractive is she? >> she came with the slack negligee and a track these and a black mask. barbie doesn't have a good reputation? she is pure as the driven snow compared to her predecessor.

gerri: thanks for showing us this. interesting. we hope you enjoyed our tour of at a o schwarz. this concludes our user's guide to holiday shopping. if you missed anything go to gerri willis.com. we have all the information including the list of best ploys ever. happy shopping. that was a ton of fun. many classic toys are still popular today, your kids may be asking for the and new favorites. hottest toys for 200013. right now according to toys r us, the leak had all for a. check it out. if you don't want your little ones playing with their ipad get their own for $150. the green or pink pad is good for kids 4 to 6 years old. number 4, doc mcstopping the lecture. nevada check out. get your toddler started early before shipping them to mid school. this is your kids 3 to 5 years old and $80.

the gross electronic put the head, member of the ugly electronic pets, comes in multiple gross colors for kids, more likely boys 5 and up. number 2 despicable me talking figures. you can hear from minyan dave for $70 would kids of all ages 4 and up will get a kick of this. number one hottest toy of 2013 is sylvia, the first talking vanity. if we can turn your little girl into a princess for $80 ranges 3 to 5 years old. when we come back, some begin their black friday deals today and what consumers think about it and give cards are the most popular holiday gift but not all cards are created equal. we sort out the best gift cards for you. [ male announcer ] zzuil.

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gerri: important gerri: important information for your holiday shopping. despite being the most popular present under the christmas tree gift cards are packed with hidden fees. joining me, credit-card analyst for banquerate.com. let's start with those hidden fees. there are a lot of them. >> they are not as hidden as they used to be. especially the general purpose gift cards, one that the american express, mastercard and visa logos, front and back end fees. gerri: there's a purchase fee. what is that? >> if you buy a gift card from american express and you want to buy a $50 gift card you have to put down $3.95 to $6.95. gerri: activity dormancy fees, this drives me crazy. i don't use my card and your going to charge me for that?

>> i heard so many more stories from friends and family about that but the good news is under federal law you can't use it for 12 months before they can start charging those fees. gerri: but after that? >> they can charge a monthly fee. gerri: how much? >> $2 to $3. that can add up. in a shipping costs? >> there are shipping costs. it depends. gerri: you are sending it to somebody? >> if you order online send it to somebody. gerri: customization costs, i didn't know you could customize these cards. >> retailers and car the issue is becoming really creative because it give god is in personal. you can upload an image of your family on the gift card or send an audio message, fun stuff like that. gerri: it cost you. how much would i pay? >> $2.95, make it customized.

gerri: any other hidden fees? >> random ones like a replacement card you lose a card it will charge you $15 or so, that can be more than you had. gerri: that is crazy! >> there is the general-purpose card and the grand pacific card and those cards from amazon or ebay. gerri: specific retailer. >> hardly any fees at all. that is your best bet. gerri: that is closer. are there any tips you want to mention about how to do that? >> if you are buying a car i would think about where someone likes to shop so they will use their card for any expiration dates and check to see if they have any kind of loss or theft protection. gerri: i like that. buying them at a discount on line. anything you can tell us about the way to do that? >> you need to check out these

companies, a hundred% moneybag guarantee. you don't want to get a gift card and mail that is supposed to have $100 and you find out there's nothing. i had that happen from personal experience but i was able to get the money back. gerri: how did you do that? >> call the company. gerri: this card has nothing on it. there is a risk. any company you would recommend for people looking this holiday season? >> i talked to a few companies, abc give cards around for a while, carcool.com was around for a while so i checked those out. make sure there is the 100% -- gerri: money back guarantee. good to meet you. power users guide to shopping continues as we tell you agree we to save money this holiday shopping season and it doesn't involve waiting in line. our next retailer is opening earlier this holiday season with many like kmart starting black friday this morning. retailers waging a war on

thanksgiving? ♪ [ male announcer ] 1.21 gigawatts. today, that's easy. ge is revolutioning power. supercharging turbines with advanced hardware and innovative software. using data predictively to help power entire cities. so the turbines of today... will power us all... into the future. ♪ so i deserve a small business credit card with amazing rewards. with the spark cascard from capital one, i get cash back on ery purchase, every day. i break my back around here. finally soone's recognizing me with unlimited rewards! meetings start at 11, cindy. [ male announcer get the spark business card from capital one. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every d. what's in your wallet? i need your timesheets, larry!

gerri: consumer reports taught marks with his take a nasty retailer's opening their doors today in two minutes.

on to another topic. it is a war on thanksgiving. gerri: it is the war on thanksgiving, fresh out rage on social media as kmart announced it will stay open 41 hours starting gets its:00 a.m. on thanksgiving day. kmart customers flocking to the retailer's face book page, many of them protesting the move. are these black friday and now lectures a deal all agreed

anyway? joining me by telephone todd martin, senior project editor for consumer reports. welcome back to the show. good to talk with you. even by telephone. people are upset about this. i want to read something that was posted on the face book page at kmart. shame on you, i will never set foot in any of your stores again. i have family members that work in retail and because of greedy retailers like you we will not be able to spend the day with us. what do you make of that? >> that is tough stuff but a lot of people feel that way. thanks giving was once a time for family gatherings, you travel. one of the few times we as a country as a culture get together and now we have gradually seen that eroded first by the midnight madness sales and now openings at 8:00 gradually moving back and this time how low can you go sweepstakes looks like kmart has become the new nuclear winter by opening up at 6:00 in the morning and bragging they will

be open 41 straight hours of shopping. gerri: 41 hours. i have to say they wouldn't be doing if they didn't people would come in. >> that is true. they are motivating people to shop online. they will offer specials that way too but they feel through whatever pressures they have to be in it to win it and other competitors are trying to get shoppers, they have to do some thing dramatic and it is dramatic but could have a significant backlash. thanksgiving occupies a special niche in our society and culture. gerri: i have to tell you one of my friends told me you are not getting me from out in front of the tv. i will watch all the football games i can. everyone has their own motivation and state giving. if you are not going to shop thursday, what strategically, when is the best time to shop? >> on monitor the sales all the time starting in the fall to see

what we can expect. we were starting to see free shipping deals come in or reduced cost shipping. doesn't seem to be as aggressive especially with the economy theoretically on the upswing. ltd. on sales of 40% of and some as high as 50 but people get caught up in the experience of going out on black friday and what that means and expectations are quite high. for example there is always, we talked about the midnight madness, the idea that you can go out and get a tv set for $200 but remember they are limited time offer is. last year i was looking at what walmart did. they hand out tickets a couple of hours before the stores actually opened. gerri: i got to tell you these

retailers, sales and going to be lower, 2% lower. so the brick and mortar you see people coming out with big time savings deals a we will match online retail. there's a fundamental shift in strategy that consumers can take advantage of. >> absolutely right. best buy which never had a great reputation for a lot of things actually fired the first salvo by matching online competitors prices of 11 retailers including amazon. toys r us is doing that this year but not matching black friday prices. that is something they need clear but if you don't shop on black friday chances are you will get a good deal. gerri: thanks for being on the show. see you later may be at the mall but not on thursday. >> me neither. gerri: thank you. still to come about special time of year to break out the credit card and go shopping. we will tell you which card will give you the most bang for your buck this holiday season. hi honey, did you get e toaster cozy?

yep. got all the cozies. [ grandma ] with n fedex one rate, i could ll a box and ship it r one flat rate. so i kn untilt was full. you'd be crazy not to. is tt nana? [ male announcer ] fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. we're going to wake the world up. and watch, with eyes wide,

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the holiday shopping season is starting earlier and earlier. while marketing of early deals on toys and electronics, macy's announcing that it will open on thanksgiving. have you find the best rewardsc? >> wal-mart taking up early deals on toys and electronics. so how do you find the best rewards card to take advantage of? twenty now is the consumer education director for credit.com. i want to mention a couple of the other retail deals. target will match prices from local competitors and online retailers, so the deals are stacking up. does that mean that you should give them your credit card? >> well, we are necessarily taking event advantage of rich credit card reward programs that are out there. gerri: this is not the reason that i would choose to get a new

card. but however, there are good reasons to get a new card and that's if you have a subpar credit card how i know? >> shop around, look at what is out there, if you are a traveler, i don't know about you, but i hate paying the 25-dollar baggage fee. so maybe you need a credit card with your priority booking and baggage and other perks and benefits. gerri: deals do change all the time. there are some cards that are better than others. please tell me the essential elements in a rewards card. is it a certain apr or what you want? >> rewards cards are typically not looking at apis. if you carry a balance, they are not the best deal.

are the rewards flexible? will they be rewards that i can use? rewards that make sense everyone loves cashback. what is designed to do is simplify rewards. instead of 1% or 3%, you get 1.25% back on all purchases all the time. so there are new programs constantly coming out and maybe better than the one you have in your wallet. gerri: these banks are focusing on things like credit cards because they can make mmre money there than they can on checking accounts. the chase sapphire card. you like that as well? >> yes, it's one the best credit cards in america and the reason is that it is flexible and generous and you can get a 40,000-point onerous in the first three months and then you can use it for $500 of travel

gifts merchandise. gerri: you also like the airline card that you're talking about. what is good about this? >> if you're looking for an airline card, you are looking for one that is offering a good bonus reward. the city advantage british airways, they have good bonus rewards and they upped the ante. and you might get a hundred bonus points. gerri: those programs do change from time to time. thank you so much for your time. gerri: coming up tomorrow, we spend the hour answering your

questions. think you for joining us, and we hope you have a safe and happy rest of your holiday. and for those braving the crowds tonight or tomorrow, good luck. ♪ ♪ ♪ lou: president obama is enrollment numbers, it is all bad news for the obama administration. i am lou dobbs. hello, everyone. severely undercutting president obama's credibility an approval rating. a new fox poll shows half of voters believe president obama knowingly lied when he repeatedly told americans that they could keep their plan under his signature health care law. as for the number of americans who have signed on for health care