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Black Friday and the following Cyber Monday mark the start of Christmas shopping for many, as Rainer Trefelnik, chairman of the Federal Trade Association, puts it. Austrians will spend around 520 million euros on shopping on these days, according to a survey by the Chamber of Commerce. Last year, the figure was 430 million euros. Trefelnik hopes that at least part of this sum will be spent in domestic retail. In any case, the majority of business (more than 80 percent) will be done online, and the primary motive for shoppers is bargain hunting.
Too good to be true?
However, fraudsters also benefit from the big shopping spree. According to a study by the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Mark, one in four people has encountered fraudsters while shopping online. As Thorsten Behrens from the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Mark says: “The cheaper an online offer appears, the more cautious you should be.” And under no circumstances should you allow yourself to be pressured. The psychological tricks used by sellers include messages such as “10 people are currently viewing this product” or “only one product left.” Highlighted buttons that lead to a subscription and countdowns are also designed to tempt you into spending more money.
“More than a third of respondents say they shop online on sale days because the discounts are only available for a short time. Only 14 percent are not influenced by such promotions,” says Behrens. The AK Consumer Protection Agency also quickly addresses this topic when advising consumers about Black Friday deals. “Take your time,” recommends AK expert Josef Kalina. “Not every countdown and every supposedly limited offer is a real bargain.” Within the EU, retailers must always indicate the lowest price of the last 30 days when offering discounts and may only advertise price reductions in relation to this.
“Up to 60 percent” discounts may sound tempting, but often only apply to slow-moving items. Comparison websites such as idealo.at or geizhals.at are helpful tools for getting a feel for realistic prices and discounts. In addition, there are shipping, return, and customs costs, which can drive up the price again. “So read the fine print,” advises Kalina.
A shopping list helps
“Think in advance about what you need,” recommends the debt counseling service in light of the discount battle, where it’s easy to lose sight of your own budget. And: “Stay away from offers like ‘Buy now, pay later.’ It’s best to set yourself a financial limit for shopping days.” Thorsten Behrens adds: “If you decide on trustworthy online shops early on, you don’t have to worry about fraudsters.”
The best way to spot fraudulent fake shops is to check the shop reviews and make sure the website has an error-free imprint (with address details that can also be found on Google Maps), terms and conditions, and privacy policy. A clear warning sign is if only prepayment is offered as a payment method. The fake shop detector and fake shop list from watchlist-internet.at are helpful.
- source: kleinezeitung.at/picture: Image by Uzair Ahmad from Pixabay
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