By MANALE ZOUHIR & EMMA CEPLINSKAS
Once you pick up clothing and christmas gifts, be sure to save some money for Cyber Monday on Dec. 1, 2013. This is when you can get all of your online goods for an extremely discounted price. This is a good idea if you are planning on purchasing something big such as an electronic or any designer goods. Also, if shopping Black Friday sales in the hectic crowds in early morning is not your thing, Cyber Monday is perfect for you. You can get the same deals in the comfort of your own bed. Stores that have Cyber Monday sales include most of the in-store places, as well as:
- Amazon.com
- Target.com
- BestBuy.com
- Apple.com
- Zappos.com
- Etsy.com: certain sellers give discounts on their goods, but not everyone does.
- Overstock.com
- Hautelook.com
- Kitson.com
- Romwe.com
- EBay.com
- Zara.com
Tips for shopping online:
- Make sure you are on a legitimate website before you give it your credit card number; the internet is filled with scammers who are desperate to take your money. To make sure that it is secure, check the website. If you see “https:” followed by the URL, then it is safe. The “s” stands for secure, meaning it is okay to use. Also, if you see a green lock next to the “http” or “https” that indicates that it is safe to give your information to.
- Before purchasing anything, check to see if you can get a discount by searching for coupon codes. Popular websites that supply this include retailmenot.com, couponcodes.com, and currentcodes.com. If you cannot find any this way, try Google-searching “store name coupons” and seeing what comes up.
- Know the store’s shipping policy. For most online stores, they will give you free shipping on orders over a certain amount, such as $50, $75, or $100. If your order is just under this, consider ordering something else for a small price to be eligible for free shipping. Shipping costs can go all the way up to $20 or higher: it’s better to get another item for this price than to pay pricey shipping. Also, be sure to check the store’s homepage. Sometimes they have free shipping codes that you can use.
- Check the store’s return policy! This is very important because ordering online can be very tricky. If you get something that does not look like what you originally ordered or does not fit the way it seemed, you will want to return it. Some stores are difficult about their return policy, so it may make you want to rethink ordering.
- Looking for reviews can easily make or break your decision to order. Make sure you scroll to the bottom of the item page to see if there are any customer reviews. These are always legitimate people, and can really tell you whether the item is worth ordering or not. On sites where things are sold by small businesses such as etsy.com and amazon.com, this is very important.
- Be aware of your computer. If you have noticed it being extra slow lately or suspect a virus, do not order anything. Instead, borrow a friend’s computer or order from a smartphone or iPad. If you have a virus or keylogger, your information can easily be given to others and you may become subject to identity theft.
- Once you have finalized the order, you should receive a confirmation message or email. If you do not receive one within 24 hours, you should contact the store you ordered from. When you do get a confirmation email, make sure you save or print it out. This is important to have just in case.
- Know what you order. Shipping can take weeks, so it is possible to forget the little things you have ordered, making it easy for websites to make mistakes and mess up your order without you noticing. Record your receipt and order total. Though it is very unlikely for this to happen, it is still important to stay safe.
