5 safe shopping tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Step 1

Check if the shopping site is authentic

Before buying, look carefully at the website and reviews. A quick check often saves a lot of hassle:

• What are other consumers saying online? Look up the shop’s web address and the word "reviews" in Google, then search for independent review websites. A quick review check will usually shed light on online sellers that get things wrong more often than they should.
• What do the terms and conditions say? Does the website even have any T&Cs?
• What is the online seller’s physical address? You can also run a Google Maps search on the address to see whether it’s real and whether it makes sense to run a shopping site from that location.
• What is the shopping site’s phone number? Can you find it on the website? Do they answer the phone?

More tips? On November 22, the ECC launched the campaign with the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets, Consumentenbond, Fraudehelpdesk and the National Internet Scam Hotline run by the police: Check the reviews before you order.

Step 2

Check if the deal is real

With special deals, shopping sites have to show the reduced price and the normal price. Under the EU's new "Omnibus" rules, the promo price must be the lowest price in the past 30 days, stopping shopping sites from offering fake discounts, advertising the same price as usual. We recommend tracking prices over an extended period of time. Is that blockbuster discount actually the lowest it has been in the past 30 days? 

Step 3

Don't be swayed

"10 other people are looking at this product right now" or "only 3 left!": many websites, ads and even search engines have clever tricks up their sleeve to influence your behaviour. Sometimes, they’ll even shame potential buyers: 'No, I'm crazy and don't want a 20% discount'. We might think we’re impervious, but everyone has some sort of response to these emotional tricks. They’re hard to avoid, but recognising them is the first step. If you weren’t being put under pressure, would this discount still be as good as it seems?

Step 4

Choose a secure payment method

• If you’re shopping on a website you don’t really know yet, it’s best to pay later or use an insured payment method like your credit card, PayPal, Riverty (AfterPay) or Klarna, to (usually) avoid losing your money if an order does not arrive.
• Avoid transferring money straight to the seller. If something goes wrong with your order, it’ll often be impossible to get your money back.
• Use a secure Internet connection.
• Check if the shopping site has an 'https' web address with a padlock symbol.
• Do not store credit card information or other payment details on your phone.

Step 5 

Exercise your (warranty) rights

Whether new, used or digital: exercise your warranty rights if a product is damaged through no fault of your own. The seller must repair or replace the product, or refund your money if nothing else can be done.