You know all about Black Friday but do you know about Cyber Monday? It’s officially the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday and the story goes that on that day is when you will find all the super amazing bargains online.
It’s reportedly one of the busiest online shopping days of the year, and many online companies promote the heck out of the day as a “one day only” savings special. Nearly all websites from the small personal boutiques to the big daddy sites like Amazon and eBay will have big sales tomorrow, 11/28/11.
Due to the high competition for your hard earned dollars, many sites like Amazon, Walmart and more have already started pushing Cyber Monday sales. In fact, you can go here to see Amazon’s Early Cyber Monday sales 
So be ready, be relaxed, and expect to see “Cyber Monday” all over the internet today and tomorrow. Rest assured we’ll try and bring you the hottest deals we see – because we all like to save money, especially on holidays gifts.
Here are some of our tips to enjoy shopping online, and to buy safe:
1) Shop the sites you know. The deals will be plenty but we recommend shopping with websites that you know of or have a positive reputation. Most department stores and chain stores have websites, and there are many reputable daily deal sites (Groupon, SaveMore, Saveology, Plum District, Woot, Graveyard Mall, etc..) to choose from.
2) Check the details of the offer. Make sure all the components of the item that you think are included are, so you don’t have an unwanted follow up purchase to complete the item.
3) Is it refurbished? This is important when you are shopping online for electronics especially. Refurbished means the item has undergone some sort of repair or overhaul; it is not brand new. Refurbished items are not bad by any means, but you should be sure to check the details of the offer so you know if you are buying refurbished or not. Many times refurb items come with a warranty as well.
4) When will it ship? As the holiday comes closer it is important to check the delivery time frame from the website so you can be certain the item will arrive in time.
5) Check the company’s return policy. It you are buying a gift for someone, you will probably want them to be able to return or exchange it if they don’t like it. Most websites offer returns, but check to be sure so you are not “stuck” with something.
6) Check around. Just because a website is promoting a “hot” price on an item, search around the Internet a bit to see if the price is really a good deal. Remember, marketing plays a huge part in Cyber Monday mania, so use your due diligence when shopping (just like you would at the mall).
7) Keep track of your orders. As you shop more and more online you’ll have orders with different websites and it can be easy to loose track of an order. We recommend you print out the order confirmation page and place it somewhere you will not forget about it. Maybe you can clip it to your holiday shopping notes/lists, or pin it to the tack board in your computer area. Just make sure it is visible so if the item doesn’t appear in a bit you can be reminded to follow up on it.
8) Breath. Take time to enjoy the shopping experience and do not feel pressured or bullied into buying anything online.
Happy shopping!
