Black Friday is reported to have record sales this year and rumor is Cyber Monday will follow suit. Online shopping is growing more popular as companies are adding perks such as free shipping and extending the Black Friday sales straight into Cyber Monday with exclusive online deals.
Online shopping is convenient and easy but shoppers need to take precautions since hackers are finding new and creative ways to steal your private information. Beware of fake profiles on social media sites and be leery of imposter’s posing as big name companies enticing you to click their links to give them your information. Make sure your computers are updated with the latest spam filters. Look for verified seals on sites such as BBB, Customer Certified, or lock logo. These indicate safe shopping sites and your credit card information is at a low risk of being stolen. Update your password at the beginning of you holiday shopping and when you are finished for extra security. For consumer tips on holiday shopping check out this guide from Better Business Bureau.
Online shopping is convenient and easy but shoppers need to take precautions since hackers are finding new and creative ways to steal your private information. Beware of fake profiles on social media sites and be leery of imposter’s posing as big name companies enticing you to click their links to give them your information. Make sure your computers are updated with the latest spam filters. Look for verified seals on sites such as BBB, Customer Certified, or lock logo. These indicate safe shopping sites and your credit card information is at a low risk of being stolen. Update your password at the beginning of you holiday shopping and when you are finished for extra security. For consumer tips on holiday shopping check out this guide from Better Business Bureau.
Your best bets for the big purchases with the best prices are from the same players as most years. A lot of the stores have stepped up their cyber game and have introduced deals that are specific to online shoppers, such as Best Buys and
http://www.walmart.com/ but the go to online guys are:
http://www.walmart.com/ but the go to online guys are:
Amazon
Amazon sells everything from books to appliances. You can do all your shopping right here.They will be adding cyber deals all week long but the catch is they are in limited supplies so once they are gone that’s it but new items will be added every day, throughout the day. Subscribe to Amazons Deals E-mail so you get daily alerts via e-mail as new products are stocked.
overstock.com or O.co
Overstock will be restocking their inventory for their Cyber Monday Redline Deals and offer free shipping. O.com sells high-quality products and services at a discount. You can buy everything; bedding, electronics, clothing, vacations and insurance. Overstock.com also has an impressive track record when it comes to customer service and have won several awards for their work ethics. A company you can trust with your online shopping.
ZAPPOS
Originally known for selling shoes, Zappos is another online retailer who sells everything from soup to nuts. Although, you won’t actually find soup or nuts you will find a nice soup tureen. Zappos offers free next day shipping from Monday to Friday plus pre-holiday markdowns, free 365 day returns, e-gift certificates and gift cards. Zappos is another business who has been recognized for their outstanding work ethics, they work by a code of conduct, and follow a list of core values. Their company goal is to provide the best customer service possible. I say, any company with that mission statement gets my business.
Etsy
If you are looking for something handmade, one-of-a-kind or vintage then check out Etsy. People with a creative vision can start their own businesses selling their work here. For Cyber Monday individual sellers have their own deals and Etsy has listed them all on one page (see link above).
Amazon sells everything from books to appliances. You can do all your shopping right here.They will be adding cyber deals all week long but the catch is they are in limited supplies so once they are gone that’s it but new items will be added every day, throughout the day. Subscribe to Amazons Deals E-mail so you get daily alerts via e-mail as new products are stocked.
overstock.com or O.co
Overstock will be restocking their inventory for their Cyber Monday Redline Deals and offer free shipping. O.com sells high-quality products and services at a discount. You can buy everything; bedding, electronics, clothing, vacations and insurance. Overstock.com also has an impressive track record when it comes to customer service and have won several awards for their work ethics. A company you can trust with your online shopping.
ZAPPOS
Originally known for selling shoes, Zappos is another online retailer who sells everything from soup to nuts. Although, you won’t actually find soup or nuts you will find a nice soup tureen. Zappos offers free next day shipping from Monday to Friday plus pre-holiday markdowns, free 365 day returns, e-gift certificates and gift cards. Zappos is another business who has been recognized for their outstanding work ethics, they work by a code of conduct, and follow a list of core values. Their company goal is to provide the best customer service possible. I say, any company with that mission statement gets my business.
Etsy
If you are looking for something handmade, one-of-a-kind or vintage then check out Etsy. People with a creative vision can start their own businesses selling their work here. For Cyber Monday individual sellers have their own deals and Etsy has listed them all on one page (see link above).
One of the best tools that will get you through your cyber shopping quickly is the comparison shopping sites. Sites like Pricegrabber.com will find the best price for you from the retailers who carry your product. This will significantly cut down the work. Here’s a list of more comparison shopping sites:
Shopping.com an Ebay company.
shopzilla
Smarter.com
Become.com
EDeals.com
Froogle a comparison shopping site from Google which has local merchants who may carry what you are looking for. If you are a supporter of the small business owner this is your best option. Just put in your zip code and it will locate the nearest store to your home.
After you’ve checked out all the best prices be sure to check out Ebates.com to see if there’s a rebate offered for the merchant you found.
Baby showers and weddings aren’t the only gift registry’s anymore. Many stores now have a “Wishlist”. You can create a list of items that you would like someone to purchase for you. This is great for the person who is hard to shop for. Some retailers who have a“Wishlist” include:
Amazon
Overstock
Footlocker
Kenneth Cole
Toys R Us
Aeropostale
Bed Bath and Beyond
There are plenty of phone app’s for the iPhone, iOS devices, and Android by your favorite retailer such as Amazon, Etsy, and others that will alert you when a deal is listed or allow you to update your Wishlist. You can find app’s to your favorite stores on iTunes.
Shopping.com an Ebay company.
shopzilla
Smarter.com
Become.com
EDeals.com
Froogle a comparison shopping site from Google which has local merchants who may carry what you are looking for. If you are a supporter of the small business owner this is your best option. Just put in your zip code and it will locate the nearest store to your home.
After you’ve checked out all the best prices be sure to check out Ebates.com to see if there’s a rebate offered for the merchant you found.
Baby showers and weddings aren’t the only gift registry’s anymore. Many stores now have a “Wishlist”. You can create a list of items that you would like someone to purchase for you. This is great for the person who is hard to shop for. Some retailers who have a“Wishlist” include:
Amazon
Overstock
Footlocker
Kenneth Cole
Toys R Us
Aeropostale
Bed Bath and Beyond
There are plenty of phone app’s for the iPhone, iOS devices, and Android by your favorite retailer such as Amazon, Etsy, and others that will alert you when a deal is listed or allow you to update your Wishlist. You can find app’s to your favorite stores on iTunes.
Cyber Monday is just the beginning of great deals you can find online. Most retailers have extended their sales for the whole week so keep checking back for new listings. Be sure to follow your favorite stores on Twitter and Facebook too. You are most likely to hear about the best deals first on those sites since they are the most popular social networks. Happy surfing.
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