4 |Fall 2012
Fall 2012 |
5
4
ways to
online sh
per Well, the holidays are fast approaching and we all know what that means... it’s shopping season! “Cyber Monday” (taking place on the Monday immediately following Thanksgiving) has quickly joined “Black Friday” as one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and we at NYSUT Member Benefits want to make sure that you have a safe and secure online shopping experience. According to various sources, consumers now spend approximately $1 billion on Cyber Monday each year. In addition, 80% of all online sales take place in the four weeks between Black Friday and the weekend before Christmas. What does this mean? Well, for starters, it means there are a number of merchants looking to offer special purchasing incentives and a lot of people looking for great discounts; it also means these same potential buyers are leaving themselves wide open to potential scams from unscrupulous online thieves. Always exercise caution and good judgment when it comes to online deals. The old adage
has never been more accurate when it comes to online shopping: “If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.” While we all want to believe that ad offering a 60” LCD flat screen television for $100, we know in our heads that this is just not realistic. Check out the following tips from wikihow.com to make sure your online shopping experience this holiday season is a safe and secure one: #1: Know who you’re dealing with – Make sure that you know the identity, location and contact information for the online retailer.
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Besides learning these details, it’s also smart to make sure that the company has a positive online reputation. Do an online search to find out what others are saying about their experiences with the company. While one or two negative reviews about a product should not dissuade you from