How we are deceived on Cyber Monday and 5 tips on how not to be deceived

A large-scale online campaign called Cyber Monday begins today. Already taught by bitter experience, domestic users do not particularly trust the advertised discounts. But there is always hope that you can really save money and make profitable and successful purchases. Here are some tips on how not to get trapped on Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday, the online version of Black Friday. The beginning of this tradition was laid in 2005 by the resource Shop.org , an online division of the National Retail Federation of the USA. The Federation has noticed that in recent years, online sales have peaked on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Russia has had its own Cyber Monday since 2013: online stores also offer discounts on this day. Cyber Monday differs from Black Friday in that only online stores offer discounts. It is worth noting that in 2018, Russians spent 2.5 billion rubles on Cyber Monday.

Although on the eve of Cyber Monday, all the storefronts and banners of websites tempt buyers with big discounts and excise offers, in practice it happens differently.

According to marketers, some stores can cheat: instead of insane discounts, the consumer receives defective items or even higher prices. Here are 5 practical tips for those who plan to join the world sale on this day.

1. Advertising and bright banners can mislead even a rational buyer, so before purchasing a product, you should ask yourself whether this thing is really needed and make a shopping list. Everything on this day is set up so that banal greed knocks you out of the planned budget.

It is worth making an action plan in advance and calculating the budget. When paying with a card, you can set a limit for this day so as not to spend too much.

2. Things can always be returned. If an unnecessary or defective product was purchased, the purchase will be accepted back within a certain period. Exceptions are foodstuffs, medicines, hygiene items, toys, underwear, printed publications, jewelry. This does not apply to the most popular products — clothing and appliances.

However, the exchange and return of goods is not always easy. Therefore, it is worth studying the exchange and refund policy in advance. And keep in mind that in most cases you will have to return low-quality goods at your own expense.

The most reliable way to protect yourself from fraudsters is to study the prices of the necessary goods in advance. There are also online services that will help you compare the prices of selected products with other offers on the market.

For example, users of the Google search engine can go to "Google Shopping". Separate services have been developed for major global trading platforms: AliTools, Aliexpress Shopping Assistant, Camelcamelcamel.

4. It is worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping.

Buying on the Internet allows you to put the goods intended for purchase on "cyber Monday" in a virtual shopping cart. This is an important advantage that allows you to quickly purchase the selected product ahead of other buyers. In addition, buying online, you can free yourself from exhausting marathons in queues at the store and at the checkout.However, it is difficult to check the condition of products on the Internet, so it is safer to buy without prepayment. This method allows you to pay for the goods upon receipt — after quality control.

5. Cashback will also help you save money on this day. Thanks to this tool, which is used by many banks in cooperation with retail chains, the owner receives part of the amount spent to his account. But pay attention to the fact that some cashback programs installed on the phone can constantly hang in the device's memory, taking up a considerable part of it. What are they doing there? — this question remains open.