Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday 2011 Deals and Safety Tips for Shopping Online

By  | 

Tomorrow is technically the start of the shopping holiday known as Cyber Monday. This year I would say Cyber Monday is almost a “non-event.” Why you may ask? Because so many of the stores started their online sales last week, at the same time as the in-store Black Friday sales. Today is really Cyber Sunday because so many stores already have their allegedly “Cyber Monday” deals online.  The artist formerly known as Cyber Monday is merging into all the other sale days of the year.

Having said that, there are a few things for you to think of before you start full-on Cyber shopping. The primary concern is safety. As a survivor of various cyber attacks and viruses, I can tell you first hand that you do need to be careful where you shop. The CyberMonday.org site recently provided some helpful tips for your consideration. Here’s the 411 from Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation and Shop.org.

Safety Suggestions:

  • Be sure to shop on reputable, trust-worthy sites such as CyberMonday.com and its retail partners
  • Just as you’re more careful when shopping in busy malls during the holiday, be more careful online as well
  • AVG offers free downloads of virus scan and link scan here: www.shop.org/shopsafely and http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition

Cyber Security Tips:

  • Look for the “S” for Security: Make sure the sites you are shopping from are secure and have “HTTPS” in the URL. The “S” ensures security. Also, look for the padlock symbol and research shopping sites at locations such as shopzilla.com and pricegrabber.com.
  • Stay Current on Security Software: Make sure you have the latest virus protection software updates from your provider before you start your holiday shopping.
  • Think Before You Link: Employ a URL scanning tool to ensure you’re not clicking on links that lead to infected websites. Free tool here: http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition
  • Keep Your Private Information Private: Make sure you keep your personal information private. Create a separate e-mail account just for shopping and use a unique password. Keep records of your online shopping by printing confirmation pages and e-mail confirmations.
  • Mix Up Your Passwords: Each e-mail, bank, credit card account should have a unique password. Write them down and store them in a secure location.

Now that we have that silly old security and safety stuff out of the way, let’s talk savvy shopping!  Yahoo reports that the majority of shopping is for deals at Best Buy (157% more searches than the next), Wal-Mart, Amazon and Target.  Over those, Amazon is the only 100% cyber store without a brick and mortar component. Here are a few top picks.

Target: Over at Target.com, there is a Cyber Monday sale that will last all week. I hope they have increased their website traffic capacity, so they don’t crash if they get too many orders. Deals include the typical electronic fare: TVs, cameras, video games, kids toys and cosmetics.  Looks like the few remaining Missoni items online are at last gone.

Macy’s: The Cyber Monday deals are already online. free shipping on orders of $75 or more when you enter code CYBER at checkout. There’s a lot of the Lagerfeld collection on clearance at Macy’s , particularly the junior sized pieces.

Kohl’s:  Get 20% off at Kohl’sAND free standard shipping when you enter code CYBER20 at checkout.  There are already over 200 deals listed.  Look for some of the sparkly tops from the JLo collection on sale, although warning, the stuff is cheap and won’t last.  Your money might be better spent on toys, jewelry, household items and electronics.

Bloomingdales: The Big Brown Sale is on until midnight EST Nov. 27. Look for the bargains on their website of 30-40% off.  More deals to come on Cyber Monday I am sure.   Free shipping on any order until Nov. 28 using code FREESHIP11. If you’re a handbag lover, Designer Handbags are 30% off until Dec. 4th.

Ralph Lauren: Save 25% off until Nov. 28th and free shipping on online orders. Click on the sale section of the site to see the Holiday Weekend event price reductions.

JCrew.com: Mrs. Obama’s fav chic n’ cheap store is offering an additional 20% off holiday sale items with code YOURGIFT, plus free shipping on purchases of $150 or more.

Overstock.com: Savings in every category. And they ship almost worldwide, so everyone can enjoy the savings.

Ann Taylor: 40% off, code is THANKS.

DSW Shoes: Receive discounts on all items when shopping online. www.dsw.com Use code: CYBER.

Sponsored Deals:

French Connection:
Enjoy 30% off any purchase plus free shipping on orders over $150. Offer valid 11.23 through 11.28. Use code FCBLKFRI.

Sole Society: check out online shoe shopping club Sole Society.  The selection includes boots, flats and heels depending on your self selected fashion profile. If you’re not already a member, join here by using my invite.  Use code HOLIDAY10 at check out to get $10.00 off your first purchase.  Look for curated looks by top bloggers on Cyber Monday.

Shopping Clubs (click one of the invites under The Recessionista’s Top Picks)

Pictured: Look for Designer Deals at all the online shopping clubs

One last Cyber Monday tip, if you are interested in a winning a free gift certificate before Christmas, check out the Cyber Monday Facebook group to enter to win.

Share
Related Items

Since 2008, Mary Hall has been the author of The Recessionista Blog, which is read by thousands of regular readers in over 160 countries. An internationally recognized expert on the art of the living the good life for less, she has been a commentator on local, national, and international radio and TV shows. Her advice has been featured in over 2,000 media outlets, including The New York Times, Reuters, Life & Style magazine, ABC News, NBC News and now The Huffington Post, among many others.