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The biggest shopping day of the year is only three days away.

While Black Friday may be fun for some, officials said there are some things people should know before buying on-line.

Dolores Salinas with the Better Business Bureau in Weslaco is warning Rio Grande Valley residents to plan ahead and create a budget.

"It's great to shop for Christmas but if you overspend you have the debt to deal with the rest of the year,” Salinas said.

Local stores are expecting hundreds if not thousands of customers on Friday and that means everyone will be a little closer together.

"With large crowds keep an eye on your purchases, your personal items, your purses, your wallets,” Salinas said. “This is the time of the year criminals come out. Be mindful of who is around you when you are putting in your PIN numbers."

Salinas also recommends that shoppers keep their receipts.

"Especially on electronic items, if there is a defect on the item you are going to need a receipt to do an exchange,” she said.

Before you even make a purchase, learn the refund and exchange policy.

"The most common complaint we get after Christmas is refund and exchanges,” Salinas said.

While larger retailers tend to be more flexible when it comes to returns and exchanges, it's better to be safe than sorry.

"Bottom line on refunds and exchanges is the only responsibility a business has to you is if the item is defective,” Salinas said. “They have to exchange it for a like item or if that is not available they have to give you a refund."

Salinas said Valley residents can often find the same great deals on-line but people can also use websites to do research before heading to the store.