A guide to online sale shopping this festive season
Cyber street is set to be as busy as the high street this sale season. To help shoppers bag a bargain and beat the crowds, PayPal, the leading online payment service, has put together these top tips to get the most out of your online sale shopping:
Find out when your favourite shops start their online sale: Online sales frequently start the day before in-store sales, and you don't want to miss out on the best bargains.
Beat the crowds: If you're buying an item that is likely to sell out quickly, use PayPal to speed through beating others to bag the bargain.
Extra discounts: Don't forget to check for any voucher codes that could offer additional savings. Check out PayPal Offers (paypal.co.uk/offers) for sites offering extra rewards such as cash back and additional discounts.
Set a budget: Don't overspend just because it's a bargain. Set a budget and stick to it to avoid starting the New Year in debt.
Returns and refunds: Ensure you know what the return and refund policies are before buying anything. As with the high street, online shops may have different refund policies for sale goods.
Safety first: Don't let bargains put blinkers on your safety precautions. Make sure you still check the website is secure, and where possible use a secure payment method such as PayPal to avoid sharing your financial details with sites you're not familiar with. For more tips on shopping safely online visit the PayPal security centre at paypal.com.
Compare prices. Comparing prices between retailers is super-easy online, so take advantage of this and make sure you're getting the best deal out there.
Get organised: Set up a PayPal account before you start shopping for quick, safe, and easy checkout at hundreds of retailers. For a full list of retailers that accept PayPal and details of their winter sales, visit paypal-marketing.co.uk/bigbrands/index.htm.
Cameron McLean, General Manager for PayPal Merchant Services in the UK, said: "Three quarters of internet users prefer shopping online as they say it's more convenient, saving them time and money. With hundreds of top retailers starting their online sales early and the temperatures dropping we expect even more shoppers than usual to head online to pick up a sale bargain. Paying with PayPal means they can speed through checkout even quicker. Shoppers who head online before the end of 2009 will also make the most of the final days of lower reduced VAT".