BLOGGING THE VIEW: 5 tips for Cyber Monday shopping

We’re all in the frenzied festive season shopping mode, but for those of you who missed the Black Friday boat – don’t fear!

Cyber Monday is just around the corner, so get ready for this massive online shopping extravaganza. Here are some tips to get the best out of this experience.

1. Set aside a budget

This goes for all shopping, especially around the festive season, but particularly over these time-limited sales windows where you feel the pressure is on to act quickly.

That’s exactly what retailers want – you reacting without thinking. So, make sure you don’t end up overextending your entire budget with one deal. Set aside a monetary limit and make sure you don’t exceed it.

2. Use comparison sites

Don’t feel pressured to click on the first deal you find, shop around as you would usually, except you’re just doing it digitally. There are many comparison sites you can use to find the cheapest prices across the internet.

They work using browser extensions that follow you around and alert you to a better deal elsewhere. And remember to always make purchases using secure sites only. These will have an HTTPS in the browser with the ‘s’ indicating it’s a secure transaction.

3. Check the policies
While many companies are looking to off-load stock ahead of the Christmas season, some use Cyber Monday as a way to off-load defective stock, so make sure you check the return policies.

While we’re largely protected under the Consumer Act, unscrupulous retailers will try everything they can to get out of refunds or returns, so make sure you check the fine print.

Another important item is the shipping – free shipping is obviously a bonus, but if the shipping works out to more than the product price, it might not be worth it.

4. Beware of phishing

With all this online activity, you can be assured that cybercrime is going to be on the rise. One of the biggest threats facing you on Cyber Monday is phishing, where you receive a link in an email from an alleged retailer.

You’re then encouraged to share private details, which could put you at risk of losing money. Rather connect directly with the retailer or simply ignore these links.

5. Think beyond Christmas

If you’re good at budgeting and are someone who likes to plan ahead, use Cyber Monday as a way to buy those extra gifts and goodies for the year ahead. You can stock up on great gifts for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and more!

This should get you through Cyber Monday with a few great deals, but start preparing now for the next sales season. Sign up for company promotions, newsletters and loyalty programmes to get the best deals ahead of time. You don’t want to be overwhelmed with spam, so choose a few of your favourites to go with.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like our Facebook page  and follow us on Twitter.

For news straight to your phone invite us:

WhatsApp – 060 784 2695

Instagram – zululand_observer