Angie's List 7 Cyber Shopping
Tips for Black Friday / Cyber Monday
More and more people
are avoiding Black Friday’s shopping melee but still cashing
in on the sales by going online well before Cyber Monday –
the day when many professional spend more time shopping at work
than working at work. The National Retail Federation says 37 percent
of shoppers will begin their cyber shopping three days early this
year – some as early as tomorrow.
“Don’t forget that gift cards may be your best answer
for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list – and nearly
every major outlet includes gift cards on their online stores,”
says Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. “86 percent
of respondents to a nationwide Angie’s List poll say gift
cards are appropriate to give at the holidays, and 80 percent are
hoping to find a gift card in their stocking this year.”
Angie’s 7 Cyber Shopping Tips:
Do your research:
Know what you’re buying. Read the fine print. If you’re
purchasing toys, check the recall list so you know they’re
safe.
Compare prices and
contents: Don’t just compare prices; determine what’s
included and what’s not (batteries, an extra memory card,
ink, etc.) If you find a deal too good to be true, it probably
is.
One if by land; two
if by sea: ‘Tis the season for great deals on shipping,
so take the time to look around for the best price for that, as
well as the cost of your purchases.
Guaranteed delivery:
Santa’s never late and your gift shouldn’t be late
either. Be sure before you finalize your sale that your items
will arrive in time.
Avoid Return-burn:
While shopping online can be convenient, return policies can be
inconvenient. Some companies won’t accept returns at the
physical store, and shipping can get expensive as well as time
consuming. Also, some retailers – especially electronics
stores –charge a hefty re-stocking fee.
Be Safe: When shopping
online, make sure the site offers you some security. Look for
the locked padlock icon at the bottom of your browser window to
see if you're protected – that padlock indicates the site
is using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), which encrypts sensitive
information.
Be Smart: When you
register for an account to shop online, think about your password
– it should be something you can remember but that can’t
easily be figured out by cyber thieves. Use combinations of uppercase
and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Also, keep passwords
unique from account to account.
Source: Angie's List
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