Down Under Over the Top Fees

At this point, we all know that anything you buy in a store you can find online for cheaper. But there are certain things you can do in a store you can't do online, like actually hold something in your hand and see how it looks. In Australia, stores have noticed that customers are trying to beat the system: They come in, try on a bunch of stuff, don't buy any of it, and go home, where they presumably buy the clothes online. So some stores there have actually started charging DRESSING ROOM FEES. And that's exactly what it sounds like: You pay a fee to try stuff on. If you end up buying from the store, they refund your fee. If you don't end up buying, then they keep your fee. Ski shops are leading the way. They actually charge a $50 fee to try on ski boots. If you buy them, they take that money off the price of the boots. If you don't, you're out 50 bucks. So far, there's no sign these fees could make their way over here.

Black Friday Madness

The Madison, Wisconsin police arrested a 21-year-old woman on Black Friday after she allegedly threatened shoppers while trying to cut in line at Toys R Us. Police say when other shoppers confronted the Middleton woman she threatened to get her gun and shoot them. No gun was found, but police arrested the woman on a tentative charge of disorderly conduct. The unidentified suspect told cops she was going to use her Christmas gift money on bail.

The Glastonbury, Connecticut police arrested Devi Parakulam-Krishnamoo on Black Friday for leaving her 7-year-old boy and 2-year-old daughter alone in her car while she shopped at Wal-Mart. She told cops her husband left his cell phone in the car, and that she went into the store to give it to him. Officers say the children were left alone for at least 30 minutes with the vehicle running and doors unlocked.

The Memphis police arrested Mario Bernard Johnson on Black Friday for showing off his red underwear at a Wal-Mart. Several women complained to security about his low-hanging pants before a guard asked him to pull them up. Johnson responded with profanity, loud talk and finger pointing. Cops arrested him a short time later.

Black Friday Mania

BlackFriday2010.com says 95% of the deals you find in stores on Black Friday are also being offered online.

Law enforcement officials plan to use Black Friday to catch speeders. Many agencies are increasing patrols in an effort to catch overanxious drivers.

Xmas comes (too) early!

Target plans to kick off the Christmas shopping season with a one-day sale on Friday (tomorrow). They'll be selling Phillips Blu-Ray players for $99.99. The 24-hour sale, which starts at 3 a.m. Eastern time, will not be advertised in Target stores. Toys R' Us and Sears are also going online with pre-Christmas sales. Toys R' Us is having a Cyber Monday sale on July 26th.

Sears also plans to play Christmas music in their stores through Sunday. Many other stores won't be playing Christmas music because research shows consumers don't want to hear the holiday songs until at least mid October. Studies show 40% of holiday shoppers make up their mind about big ticket purchases in early fall.