Cyber Monday Beckons: Tips for Shopping Safe and Deals

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.

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! Here are a few top picks.

NEW LOOK: They have a great holiday selection and they ship to many countries (UK, US, France, and more). The Sequin Jacket just went on sale online. I love it. Click here to check it out. Sign up for their email list to receive additional discount codes.

Pictured: New Look’s Holiday Sequin Jacket just reduced.

If you missed out on some Jimmy Choo at H&M, then check the sequin jacket and of course, Giles GOLD. The Giles Holiday collection is amazing. Click here to see all the New Look special offers.

Macy’s: free shipping on orders of $75 or more when you enter code CYBER at checkout.

Kohl’s: The more you shop, the more you save. 15% off any order when you enter code CYBER15 at checkout with no minimum purchase, 15% off AND free standard shipping on your $75 order when you enter code CYBER15 at checkout and 20% off AND free standard shipping on your $100 order when you enter code CYBER20 at checkout

Bloomingdales: The Big Brown Sale is on. Look for the bargains on their website of 30-40% off.

JCrew.com: Mrs. Obama’s fav chic n’ cheap store is offering an additional 20% off holiday sale items with code EXTRA20, plus free shipping on purchases of $150 or more.

Pictured: J. Crew’s Velvet Flower pin is now reduced to $14.99. This reminds me of a certain other flower pin. The style is similar to Chanel’s classic Camellia Flower Pin Brooch below.

QVC: Jacqueline Kennedy jewelry reproductions. You can enjoy her exquisite taste for much less. The online reviews for the pieces are amazing! Check the collection here.

Pictured: Jacqueline Kennedy Flower Gate bracelet from QVC

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

Amazon and Endless.com: Amazon is offering 60% off retail outerwear for Men, Women, and Kids, plus 15% off select Swiss Military Hanowa watches! Endless is featuring $30 off select $100 orders! (check site for details.)

Ann Taylor: 30% off, code is MONDAY.

DSW Shoes: Receive 25% on all items when shopping online. www.dsw.com Use code: SAVE25

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

Pictured: Free Scarf at Beyond the Rack today with $50 USD order

BeyondtheRack.com (code BTRACCESS): With every minimum $50 order placed on CyberMonday, the member receives a free Janie Besner scarf, which has a retail value of $40. Beyond the Rack ships to many countries outside the US, check the site for details.

GILT Man: 70% off retail value, brands such as Helly Hansen and Jan Leslie
GILT: Kate Spade Handbag sale starts at 9 am PST, noon EST.

HauteLook: Rachel Pally on sale.

For more deals, check my Black Friday list. Most of the deals (excepting doorbusters) are still going on.

One last Cyber Monday tip, if you are interested in a free gift certificate until Nov. 30, 2009, check out the Cyber Monday Facebook group to enter to win.