Shopping Smart on Cyber Monday

 Friday was black. Saturday was small and local. What’s next? The kickoff of the holiday shopping season continues with Cyber Monday, when online shoppers turn to the Web en masse to seek out deals. 

If you plan to log on, you’re not alone. According to a study commissioned by Shop.org, the division of the National Retail Federation that coined the “Cyber Monday” term back in 2005, nearly 107 million Americans plan to shop online Monday. A CNN money report says sales are expected to be higher than ever this year, hitting $1.2 billion. 

It's not just the Web-based giants like Amazon that will be offering deals. Some of the same stores shoppers flocked to in the wee hours of Friday morning, like Walmart and Target, have cyber sales this week.

This Washington Post blog has some good tips for those diving into online deal-searching, including logging on early to bookmark the best deals and searching for coupons before clicking “check out.”

And the Better Business Bureau would like a word as well. Along with all the discounts, there are always some scams out there. The tips that follow – from secure sites to buyers' rights – come from the BBB. You can also read more about safe shopping and check out reviews of retailers on the Bureau's holiday consumer tips page.

• Protect your computer. A computer should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a secure firewall. 

• Shop on trustworthy websites. It’s a good idea to look for the BBB logo and other widely-recognized seals on retailer websites, but make sure they are real (some rogue sites plagiarize seals to look legitimate).

• Protect your personal information. BBB recommends taking the time to read the site’s privacy policy and understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used. If there isn’t one posted, take that as a red flag that personal information may be sold to others without permission. 

• Beware of deals that sound too good to be true. Offers on websites and in unsolicited e-mails can often sound too good to be true, especially extremely low prices on hard-to-get items. Consumers should always go with their instincts and not be afraid to pass up a “deal” that might cost them dearly in the end. 

• Beware of phishing. Legitimate businesses do not send e-mails claiming problems with an order or an account to lure the “buyer” into revealing financial information. If a consumer receives such an e-mail, BBB recommends picking up the phone and calling the contact number on the website where the purchase was made to confirm that there really is a problem with the transaction. 

• Confirm your online purchase is secure. Shoppers should always look in the address box for the “s” in https:// and in the lower-right corner for the “lock” symbol before paying. If there are any doubts about a site, BBB recommends right-clicking anywhere on the page and select “Properties.” This will let you see the real URL (website address) and the dialog box will reveal if the site is not encrypted. 

• Pay with a credit card. It’s best to use a credit card, because under federal law, you can dispute the charges if you don’t receive the item. Your also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on your credit card, and many card issuers have “zero liability” policies under which the card holder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it. If you are going to shop on classifieds web sites like Craigslist, never wire money and only buy locally where you can see the item before you hand over your money.

• Keep documentation of your order. After completing the online order process, there may be a final confirmation page or the shopper might receive confirmation by e-mail – BBB recommends saving a copy of the web page and any e-mails for future reference and as a record of the purchase.

• Check your credit card statements often. Don’t wait for paper statements; BBB recommends consumers check their credit card statements for suspicious activity by either calling credit card companies or by looking at statements online regularly.
• Know your rights. Federal law requires that orders made by mail, phone or online be shipped by the date promised or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days. If the goods aren’t shipped on time, the shopper can cancel and demand a refund. There is no general three-day cancellation right, but consumers do have the right to reject merchandise if it’s defective or was misrepresented. Otherwise, it’s the company’s policies that determine if the shopper can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.

This article originally was posted on Manchester (N.J.) Patch.