10 Cyber Monday mistakes to avoid when shopping for deals online
(NEWS10) - When is it sensible to dive into these great deals online? Some retailers don't just wait until Cyber Monday to offer great discounts. As a consumer, you could be spending more unnecessarily chasing discounts and promotions, only to discover those deals can be found any other day of the year.
According to MyBankTracker.com Cyber-shoppers may feel like it's the last opportunity of the year to score a great deal. It is not. Don't overspend this holiday season by avoiding these 10 mistakes on Cyber Monday.
Avoid making Cyber Monday into some sort of holy grail for online shoppers
Many retailers are offering deals right now because of the pandemic and posting their “Black Friday” deals throughout the season.
Avoid being unprepared or arriving late to the party
Do the homework; there are few rules for shopping online this year, so check the circulars and download reputable apps. Many retailers offer secret deals just for app users.
Avoid gimmicky sites
Don’t fall under the spell of slick websites that most have never heard of and check out the online reviews or the Better Business Bureau for online complaints.
Stick to the list
Make a list and check it twice, it will act as your suit of armor against unnecessary purchases while staying within the best budget for your lifestyle.
Avoid buying without an established budget
Don’t max out your credit card, because that bill will arrive before you know it and the interest could quickly wipe out any Cyber Monday savings.
Shop with free shipping in mind or buy from the same store
Take shipping into account. Consider buying all the gifts for the grandkids from one retailer to take advantage of free shipping - it may end up saving more money than buying it cheaper from somewhere where shipping isn’t included.
Wait to buy toys
Cyber Monday is geared toward electronics and clothing; most Christmas toys go more on sale about two weeks before the holiday.
Use online cash back shopping portals
It makes no sense to shop online without using a cashback site when there are so many to choose from like Rakuten. Just go through these secure portals to make the purchases and shoppers can earn cashback.
Review the return and exchange policies
Some items may not be returnable, so all the savings will be wiped out and other items have a limited timeframe for returns.
Avoid getting scammed
With millions shopping online, cyber scammers will be out in full force as well; shop using a private, password-protected Wi-Fi network and only check out if the URL starts with “https” to help reduce the risk of credit fraud.