In recent years, we have witnessed a growing phenomenon of online shopping. More and more consumers are buying through websites as it saves them time and sometimes money as well.
Also, businesses and online shopping sites have realized that the holiday season is a good time to launch promotions and discounts, and indeed during this period, we encounter unprecedented discounts that make us buy more than usual, but also expose us to dangers that exist in quick and unsafe purchases.
Chinese Singles’ Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday – November packed with special promotions on the net and in stores around the world. We have collected all the information for you.
Current Deals in the USA
The big shopping celebration of November is already here, and it seems that you are ready to take out your credit cards and storm the various shopping sites – in order to take advantage of the big deals. Just before you get lost in everything offered on the Internet, we decided to make things a bit more organized for you. What to expect and when, what discounts can be found, and most importantly – how to keep sanity and make no mistakes in this huge shopping celebration.
My Heart is in The East and My Credit Card is in The West
The temptation comes from the East. This is the Chinese Singles’ Day, which takes place every year at 11.11 (this year is coming on Saturday), during which all sites in China, known for their low prices, offer even bigger and more profitable deals. On this day it is recommended to browse sites such as Alibaba and Aliexpress.
About two weeks after this celebration ends, on November 25, comes Black Friday. In recent years, this day has become a worldwide demand, with most online and offline stores offering huge promotions.
This is a good day to go shopping in general for those who want to save but beware of the hustle and bustle of shopping centers in the entire Western world. If you focus on online shopping on the same day, you will find huge deals on American and European shopping sites such as eBay, AMAZON, NEXT, ASOS, and a host of other sites.
If you did not have the time to stock up on that day, do not worry: all of these sites will also offer big deals on the following Monday – “Cyber Monday” which is a direct continuation of Black Friday.
Caution from online shopping mistakes
So how do you manage to buy smart and keep yourself in the sea of temptations?
Here’s how to do it right: Make sure that the site you are purchasing from is shipping to your location, preferably free of charge.
Measure yourself in advance: make one good measurement and write down all the measurements so that you can continue shopping all year long without getting out of bed. While shopping, pay attention to the composition of the fabric that may affect the fit on the body, as well as images raised by other buyers.
Make sure to compare prices and note that many sites offer a special coupon code that sometimes appears only at the checkout or newsletter of the site. If you are planning a large purchase from a particular site, it pays to be updated and prepared in advance. Check the seller’s return policy in advance and know the consumer protections available to you. People indicated that they did not return a damaged or broken product due to the return process and the shipping costs.
Take into account shipping time and special delays around the holiday seasons and shopping, and note that there are various shipping options. People indicated that they ordered a product for a specific event but received it late so there was no longer any need.
People said they ordered a product on the Internet and regretted buying it when it arrived. Before buying, learn a little about the seller, read other customer testimonials, and check how the seller is rated and how many purchases have already been made. Did you buy them anyway? Know that you can always change your mind. As long as you take care to protect yourself in advance: buy only on secure sites and use secure payment methods.
And there are also ways to keep your purchases secure
It is also important to follow certain safety precautions related to your safety. ESET says that just like at any other time of the year, transactions that seem to be too good, are probably not really like that. Because if it looks too good to be true, it’s probably too good to be true. Make sure that the site you purchase is secure: Check if the URL begins with https since most shopping sites encrypt traffic. In addition, on secure sites, there is a green lock on the left side of the address. Notice that the padlock appears in the URL line and not on the site itself – it can indicate a fictitious site. Also, make sure that your operating system is up-to-date and has the latest security fixes.
Pay with a credit card or PayPal – Credit card companies allow buyers protection if something goes wrong while shopping. Bank transfers are usually not returned – be suspicious if the website asks you to make a bank transfer instead of paying by credit card. Set up alerts via your credit card company, they will send you an SMS or e-mail on every purchase made on your credit card. Set alarms starting at a low amount for each purchase. Also, set alerts for total purchases above a certain amount to protect multiple purchases of low amounts. Do not click unfamiliar links to sites that advertise promotions, coupons, etc. It can reach you via email, social networks, and even Google ads.
Finally, keep your personal and financial information. If you apply these tips during the upcoming shopping period, you can definitely significantly reduce your security risks.
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