Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Amazon Prime Days: The bargain hunt that has swept over from the USA has long been taking place in South African online stores as well. The industry promises big discounts. Mail-order giant Amazon, anyway, but other retailers are now also calling out such discount battles – like the South African casinos with the best bonus offers that are accessible 24/7.
Therefore, bargains are always right around the corner. Although not every discount is as high as it seems. There are even black sheep out there. Let’s have a closer look at how to turn you into the right bargain hunter.
6 Tips to Make Sure You Don’t Miss Out on the Right Bargains
On Amazon’s Marketplace, dubious merchants have been offering products at dream prices for years. However, several fake offers have come to light in which Amazon customers were supposed to pay in advance – without ever receiving their goods.
Especially on big discount days, when many retailers advertise bargains, the risk of confusion with other fake stores, even outside Amazon, is much higher. Therefore, the following applies: pay preferably by invoice or direct debit and do not let yourself be lured into a dangerous prepayment purchase.
Don’t Get Blinded by Fake Discounts
Many of the fantastic savings prices are based on a comparison with manufacturers’ recommended retail prices (RRP). In fact, however, hardly any retailers are cashing in on the RRP, which has fallen into disrepute.
Random checks by the NRW consumer center in recent years have revealed that on average, the price reductions on such discount days were often less than 20% instead of the promised 50% or more.
Compare Prices before Buying
In the search for the lowest price, the consumer centers recommend using at least two price search engines. Because, as tests have shown, there is no such thing as the one best search engine.
Only when a special offer cannot be undercut by searching in two price search engines can then click on the buy button be worthwhile.
Don’t Let Yourself be Pressured
Expiring bars that supposedly indicate diminishing stocks are a popular marketing tool. But most of the time, you can’t tell how many available items are behind the bar: it could be 10, but it could just as easily be 1,000.
Expiring clocks are also meant to create time pressure. If there is not enough time to check the seemingly attractive deal, you can buy on suspicion in exceptional cases.
However, you should check the price immediately afterward. If you find the product cheaper, you can cancel the purchase free of charge at some retailers. It’s best to check beforehand whether this is possible.
Delete Cookies Stored in Your Browser Regularly
An expensive purchase a few months ago or a search for a certain keyword means that more and more companies know how their potential clientele informs themselves and what it does in the digital world.
They tailor their offers and prices accordingly based on the data they collect. Which products do you even get to see and what do they cost? Leave as few digital traces as possible, or at least cover them up well.
Use Your Right to Cancel
If the cancellation does not work out with a retailer and the product was not as cheap as you thought, there is still the right of withdrawal. This is usually allowed in an online purchase without giving reasons up to 14 days after delivery of the product.
However, it may be that return shipping costs are incurred. You should check the respective specifications of a retailer before buying.
Image Credit: www.allenrealestate.com.au
