Cyber Monday shoppers are scouring the web today for deals on the most sought after holiday gifts, and LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice has some tips for you before you start typing in your credit card.
Sales will often be marketed as a 30%, 40%, or even 60% markdown, but Rice says many times those advertised sales are misleading. Rice says before you buy, make sure that big sale tag isn’t hiding a secretly higher than usual base price.
“See what the typical prices really are, so you know if you see there is an advertised big difference between what it normally is and what it is selling for that it really is that good of a deal,” says Rice.
If you find a good deal, stick to just buying the big-ticket item that is actually on sale. Rice says if you start picking up accessories, your savings can quickly disappear.
“Don’t necessarily buy a lot of the add-ons, because that is where a lot of the profit is made. If you buy a television, you might get a good deal on a television but make up a lot of that by buying an HDMI cable,” says Rice.
Rice says know that you may be able to find a better upfront deal for a major appliance item online, but before you buy, know many web-based retailers don’t offer the same services as brick and mortar.
“Having it delivered, set up, and having the old one taken away is not really things that Amazon gets into.
