Cyber Monday, which follows Thanksgiving weekend, is when online retailers offer special promotions, offers, and sales, just like brick and mortar stores do on Black Friday. While the concept has been around for a while, the reliance on online shopping in the last few years has made it an incredibly attractive option for shoppers. If you are one of them, here are Cyber Monday mistakes to avoid for a successful and hassle-free shopping season:

Shopping for the sake of a sale
The aspects of the Cyber Monday sale that make it more appealing to buyers are the limited time window, the depth of discount, and the sale being marketed as a once-a-year event. When a product is marketed with a flashy sign with a certain percentage off, it makes it more appealing to shoppers, even if the price difference is not dramatic. Consumer behavior experts suggest making a list before starting with Cyber Monday shopping to avoid falling for such traps. While making this list, it may also be wise to find out the actual price of the product before you are drawn to the discounted rate. This will help you determine what attracts you: the product or the discount, and will also help you avoid impulse purchases and getting things that you may not use.

Counting on standard delivery time
Around Cyber Monday, many online retailers face delayed delivery times due to the influx of orders. You should read the fine print about shipping and processing times to understand exactly how long it will take for the seller to process and deliver your order. During a sale, delivery agents like USPS, UPS, and FedEx may also face challenges due to the massive number of orders. To avoid paying for shipping or waiting too long to get your orders, consider picking up products from the store after placing an online order.

Not being punctual
If you are looking for a highly anticipated product that is likely to sell out, consider following the seller on social media to get real-time updates on stock availability and sale drops. Sign up for email alerts to be amongst the first to be notified when the item is available. Sign in to the retailer’s website with your payment information for faster checkout. This will also help you snag deals quickly. Using web browser plug-ins or extensions can also help you save time and money by automatically searching the web for deals, discounts, and promotions that may apply to your purchase.

Falling for gimmicky sites
When shopping during Cyber Monday sales, it is easy to get carried away and fall into a scam. Shop on websites you trust, and avoid gimmicky platforms. Check for online reviews before shopping on new sites. Track your account activity to monitor your transactions and the receivers. Be wary of links or attachments in emails as they may contain malware that steals your credit card information. Additionally, be careful with messages from people posing to be your delivery partners attempting to steal your personal information. Reach out to the company, website, or shipping partner using only their official number or email address.

Ignoring return and exchange policies
Check the return and exchange policies for products before purchasing them. Some products may be non-returnable or come with a limited timeframe for returns. So, you may end up wasting money on something that you do not want, does not work as it should, or is broken or torn. Look up the seller’s sale return and exchange policies beforehand so you can spend your money wisely this season.

Millions of people shop online during the Cyber Monday sale. Heavy online traffic also opens up opportunities to scam innocent customers. To keep your personal information safe, shop using a private, password-protected Wi-Fi network, and check out only if the URL starts with “https” to reduce the chances of credit card fraud.