Online shopping and bargain hunting is increasingly becoming the norm as more and more of us make the switch to shopping predominantly online. However, it is not just retail that makes up online purchases anymore – now you can book salon treatments, order takeout and register for services online.
Naturally, every company tries to attract new customers with attractive deals, promising bonuses and great bargains. Not all bargains are created equally, however, and it is the role of the informed consumer to watch out for the bargains that are, in actuality, too good to be true.
Millions of dollars are spent every year on counterfeit goods meant to fool the purchaser into spending much more than they ever normally would, on a fake piece of designer gear. Many of these counterfeit sites do not have good security measures in place or are also scammers, and your financial and personal information may no longer be safe after making a purchase on their site.
If you see the type of bargain that makes your heart race, stop yourself before reaching for the debit card, and look out for a number of warning signs that suggest that the bargain might not be quite what it appears.
Be sceptical, but not too sceptical
We are often told that to be good, informed consumers, we must be sceptical consumers. This is true, but you do not want to go overboard and become so sceptical that you are unable to efficiently shop online.
When determining whether or not a deal is real, check to see if the discounts are too steep for the particular purchase – if you truly cannot believe your eyes, you should know that it is probably a scam. Other signs of a fake or scam site are poor website design, suspect domain names, a lack of links to social media accounts and contact information, and an absence of reliable payment processors.
Read the reviews
Once you have ascertained that the product or service you are interested in is indeed real and offered by a reputable vendor, it is worth taking the time to read the reviews. Whether you are booking a haircut at a salon, looking for a new online casino to register for, or are interested in ordering a custom-made cake, it will be worth your time to read the reviews available online. If you are seeing broadly positive reviews that look authentic, then you can be assured that your purchase will be a success.
However, as important as reviews can be, try not to be put off by one or two extremely poor reviews. If you have ever read reviews of a business before, you will know that there will always be some negative and some suspiciously positive reviews. It is easy to be drawn in by these intense reviews, but just try to look for an average sentiment conveyed by reviewers, rather than get distracted by outliers.
The online gambling industry test case
The online gambling and sports betting industry has grown exponentially over the course of the last 10 years as more states and countries liberalize their gambling policies and online casinos grow in popularity. This hypercompetitive aspect of the online casino industry makes it a great case study for identifying online bargains.
There are now thousands of different online casinos vying for the attention of gamblers by offering extensive games libraries, seasonal promotions and attractive registration bonuses. An extremely competitive market is always a good thing for consumers because it means that companies will offer consumers more and more in an attempt to set themselves apart from the competition. However, the downside is that the competitive nature of the market also means that unscrupulous companies looking to make a quick buck will filter through into the competitive landscape. This is why it is important to take your time and do your research when you find a bonus or offer online that looks appealing.
Online casino sites such as https://www.mrgreen.com/ca/ are what gamblers should look for when deciding which new online casino to sign up at. Mr Green has been in the business as a casino operator for decades and has won over a dozen different awards for excellence in the industry. On top of that, the Mr Green online casino has won rave reviews from other gamblers and its terms and conditions are displayed prominently on the site.
The only thing better than playing online casino games on a fantastic platform is doing so while knowing that your financial and personal information is safe. It is worth taking the extra time to check for a secure portal before signing up for that amazing registration bonus.
