With the holiday shopping season approaching, it’s time to mark calendars for the Cyber Monday sale. One of the biggest online shopping events of the year, it’s the perfect opportunity to grab the best discounts on popular products. But with countless deals and offers, getting carried away is easy. So, one may end up buying things that might not be needed. Here are a few mistakes to avoid to make smart purchases during Cyber Monday.

Getting tricked by scammers
The Cyber Monday sale is one of the most anticipated online shopping events. However, while shoppers are busy searching for deals and discounts, scammers are actively trying to steal personal data. They often send emails or ads with tempting offers that seem unrealistic. Moreover, these scams typically involve popular products like iPhones, iPads, and Target gift cards. All it takes is one accidental click on a harmful link or unknowingly downloading a malicious app, which can lead to password theft. Therefore, staying vigilant and cautious during this time is important to protect personal information.

What to do:
It is essential to exercise caution when clicking on links and social media ads. Popup ads should be avoided altogether. One must shop from reliable and well-established online retailers and shopping websites.

Shopping without making a list
As soon as the holiday shopping season comes close, there will be an inundation of emails, social media posts, and web ads about discounts and offers. There will be tons of ‘can’t miss’ and limited-time deals. All the enthusiastic marketing will lead to many unnecessary purchases. Most of these things will probably end up in the closet or basement, never to be opened again.

What to do:
To avoid this mistake, list items required, which may be gifts for friends or family. When the purchase is made, tick the product off the list.

Forgetting to check pre-sale prices
On Cyber Monday, numerous products are advertised with discounts ranging from 50% to 70% off the original retail price. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to exercise caution regarding percentage-off claims, as some retailers may inflate the product’s original price to make the discount seem more substantial. It’s advisable to research the actual price of the item before purchasing it to ensure one gets the best deal.

What to do:
To avoid falling into this trap, research the non-sale prices for the items in the shopping list before the sale season starts on the list ahead of time. A quick search on the internet is a great way to find out the actual prices and even make comparisons across multiple sellers.

Not paying attention to the time-zones
It’s common for people to make a simple mistake when it comes to time zones. For instance, if one is in California and a Cyber Monday sale ends at midnight EST, the sale will end at 9 PM on the west coast. Forgetting the time zone can cause one to miss out on a great deal, especially regarding limited-time money-saving offers.

What to do:
Whenever there is a limited-time deal, make a note of when the deal goes live. Pay attention to the hours of a deal and the time zone if it is mentioned.

Avoiding the use of coupons
Most Cyber Monday deals usually go live online. So there will be several deals on one product across multiple shopping websites. Most of these websites will have discounted prices. But some of these will also allow shoppers to use coupon codes. They can be options for stacking several coupon codes leading to greater savings.

What to do:
Search coupon sites before purchasing instead of jettling for Cyber Monday sale prices online. Try to shop through websites and retailers that offer percent-off coupon codes, free shipping codes, and loyalty member discounts.

Looking for deals in only limited categories
Most people look for Cyber Monday deals only in limited categories. These include electronics, small appliances, home essentials, apparel, gaming, and furnishing. Although these are popular categories, there are incredible discounts on other services and products. Cyber deals extend to hotel bookings, cruises, holidays, and flight tickets. Gym memberships, online courses, and offline classes have amazing discounts on their fees.

What to do:
Keeping options open on Cyber Monday when shopping is a good idea. One might come across some fantastic deals for a dream vacation or cruise. Additionally, it’s a good idea to bookmark online courses or offline classes to easily track when the deals become available.

Not checking return policies
Sometimes, even with a list, items may need to be returned—for instance, clothes that do not fit or extra gift items. Generally, retailers have the same return policy on Cyber Monday as they do for the rest of the year, but some may have specific terms and conditions.

What to do:
Always cross-check return policies on sale items before making any purchases. Read the various terms and conditions and determine how and when titem’sm’s price will be refunded.