Online Shopping Sale Offers: Smart TRAP for Shoppers?

As we all know Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and other e-commerce players have already started online shopping sale to lure the customers towards their platform.

Starting from fashion products to deals for men to consumer electronics to accessories to pocket friendly sports shoes to backpacks to watches, everything is available at slashed price rates. Though all these offers are tempting enough but the customers should be beware of it because it could prove to be a trap.

How Online Shopping Sale Offers trap you?

Offer 1- Exchange Offers

These offers are provided by the leading e-commerce platforms to garner more customer base. But do you know there are certain terms and conditions attached to it for example they may attach an insurance policy with it, which is mandatory to buy. In this way, you will end up spending more instead of saving. This is one of the most used online shopping offer traps.

Pitfall 2- Misleading Information

Another common way to honey trap people that most of the e-commerce players adopt is they show the inflated rates of the products on their websites and slash them to look like they are offering a heavy discount- but in fact, they are selling at the same price which is available in the market. Also, there is another trap of buyback protection with a guaranteed buyback price, BEWARE! the price is either valid for 6 months or 1 year and they charge you a fixed amount ranging from Rs. 150-500 for the same.

In market, you will get the same speakers at Rs 1500.

Pitfall 3- Huge Discounts

Amazon is recently offering huge discounts upto 45% on diapers, health drinks for children and for men and women grooming products, and 80% discount on health supplements and other household products. But there is a catch. These products are available on select debit and credit cards, which mean it, could lead towards an increase in spending or you might end up in buying an old product at a higher market value. Or, they can add delivery charges in the product. Sample this,

Though it is written that the mobile would attract no delivery charge, but when we press the buy button this screenshot is placed before us.

Order Summary

Items:	12,999.00
Delivery:	40.00
Total:	13,039.00
Promotion Applied:	–  40.00
Order Total:	12,999.00
Your Total Savings:	4,000.00 (24%)

Promotions applied:

• FREE Delivery

Pitfall 4- Last Day Offers

How often have you read, “There are still few hours left to avail the massive deals, come grab it!” The statement may make you wonder are you missing the bus. But it is a strategy to push the customers towards their platform. These advertisements more often than not lead to impulse purchasing or purchasing without a due diligence. For the unknown reasons, people end up spending more during the Limited Period Offers.

Pitfall 5- Deals on smaller items

While most of us get attracted to the massive discounts on big ticket items like smartphone and electronics, but these e-commerce platforms continue to doll out several deals on smaller items too like at Amazon you can 20000 Mah Li Polymer Power Bank at Rs 1599, the actual cost is Rs 1999. But do you know Amazon a separate shipping fee for every item, thus increasing your cost and reducing your savings.

Pitfall 6- Cash Back Offers

Flipkart has come up with the Big Shopping Days that is offering massive discounts and cash back deals on the electronic items including beauty products and furnishing items, but do you know such deals can prove to be a curse for your bank account. Wondering how?

Well, the screen shot is the answer for it. Most of the e-commerce giant lures the customers with Paytm cashback deals, which in turn increase your spending rather than reducing it.

Pitfall 7- Contest

The e-commerce leading players are organizing different contests where consumers can bid and win fridge, smart Tv and other electronic products, but again there are certain conditions attached to it which may lead to privacy compromise.

The best way to avoid these online shopping sale offer pitfalls is to make a list beforehand and purchase with a due diligence, otherwise you may end up spending more than you saved.