How to stay safe this Black Friday
WITH Black Friday just days away, more South Africans than ever are expected to take to the web in search of bargains from the growing number of local e-tailers poised to cash in on this Us-born orgy of consumerist excess.
While most of them will be offering legit, if unspectacular specials, this internet gold rush is sure to bring out a fair number who will be punting sham discounts or shoddy goods, and worse, outright crooks looking to snag your banking details and fleece you out of your hardearned cash.
HERE ARE FIVE TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY SAFE THIS BLACK FRIDAY.
Look for the lock logo
Do not buy anything online from a site that doesn’t have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed. You can spot such sites by the web address which should start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). In addition, your browser should display an icon of a locked padlock next to the URL.
Think before you click “Limited time” offers are cunningly crafted to appeal to our primitive ape brain which makes us want to grab that shiny bauble before the other members of our troop spot it. Knowing this going into any online shopping session will put you a step ahead of 90% of other shoppers. Have a plan
Aimlessly browsing the web or clicking on tantalising links in your email inbox or social media feed is at best a sure-fire way to end up spending a lot of money on stuff you don’t need. At worst, you can find yourself ripped off or even robbed. Savvy e-shoppers make a list of the items they’re after and ruthlessly restrict their online attention to offers that relate to this shortlist.
Do your homework
Once you’ve spotted a potential bargain, do some research. Make sure this is a genuine special, not something the retailer sneakily marked up a few weeks back then “discounted” for the purposes of this offer. Check whether that television is really HD.
Beware of hidden costs
If you are shopping on global websites, a dynamite deal can quickly turn out to be an expensive turkey once you factor in extras costs like shipping, customs and VAT. And, if your purchase is to be posted, rather than couriered, be sure to budget for a clearance fee charged by the SA Post Office.
Some sites include shipping and customs, others only shipping, and none include clearance fees. It is also a good idea to stick to the websites of well established, trusted online retailers.
Black Friday: What’s in a name?
Originally a US phenomenon, the story goes that it was conceived as a day on which retailers dangled deep discounts in a bid to boost their accounts, out of the red and into the black, following the Thanksgiving holiday. In recent years, it’s spread to other countries, South Africa among them, where it now spans the better part of a fortnight, with a slew of specials being offered in the run-up to Black Friday, on the day, and beyond.