Is Cyber Monday worth the hype?

a little shopping cart filled with dollar bills
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Introduction

As the days of the year continue to be anointed with random days that are supposed to signify that it is special we are quickly growing tired of all the hype that is supposed to be surrounding these days. Did you know that Thursday, July 13th is National French Fry Day? I bet you are glad you now know that!

So what makes Cyber Monday any more special than that day, you might be asking? The truth is very little, other than online retailiers spending lots of money to convince you to spend yours! Years ago, Boxing Day sales were amazing; you would actually save huge amounts on things you wanted. But now we have Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the week-long sales in between that lead up to Boxing Day.

Most of the time, the deals are decent, but nothing mind-boggling. Keep reading to find out all about Cyber Monday, why we don’t think it’s all it is cracked up to be, and how you can get better deals than the ones offered on Cyber Monday.

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after Thanksgiving in the United States. The term “Cyber Monday” was created by marketing companies to encourage people to shop online. Cyber Monday is not necessarily the biggest online shopping day of the year, but it is becoming more popular each year.

So what exactly is Cyber Monday? It’s simply a day for retailers to offer special deals and discounts exclusively online. And because it falls on the first full work week after Thanksgiving weekend, when many Americans are off from work, it makes sense that people would do their holiday shopping from the comfort of their own homes or offices.

Some of the best deals you’ll find on Cyber Monday are on electronics and other tech items, as well as clothing and footwear. But really, you can find deals on just about anything you’re looking for, from toys to appliances to travel.

But the question of all of this is what makes cyber Monday important? Nothing… it’s just a day where they have some sales online… which is no different than any other sale that is online. It’s just some sales that are on the same day, at least before when Boxing Day happened there were blowout prices. Now it’s like great we get 40% off of a price that you put up by 50% last week…

The history of Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday has been around since 2005, and it was created by retailers as a way to encourage people to shop online. The term “Cyber Monday” was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation and Scott Silverman of Shop.org. Cyber Monday is typically the Monday after Thanksgiving, and it’s seen as the start of the online holiday shopping season. In recent years, Cyber Monday has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, with billions of dollars in sales.

So why is Cyber Monday a rip-off? Well, many retailers offer the same deals on Cyber Monday that they offer on Black Friday, so you’re not necessarily getting any better deals by shopping on Cyber Monday. And some just pretend to put lower prices up when you could’ve actually got a similar price last week. Aliexpress has been doing this for a bit now. In the past their 11/11 sales were amazing, but now if you track the prices you will see they inflate before the sale only to go back to the actual retail price.

Why Cyber Monday is a rip-off

Cyber Monday is a rip-off. The supposed “sales” are not very good, and the prices are often higher than on Black Friday and I really feel that Cyber Monday is nothing more than a marketing gimmick created by retailers to get people to spend more money.

Here’s why Cyber Monday is a rip-off:

1. The “sales” are not very good. I have yet to really see any large-scale, mind blowing sales at all.

2. Cyber Monday is nothing more than a marketing gimmick created by retailers to get people to spend more money. Retailers know that people are more likely to impulse buy when they see a “sale” sign, so they use Cyber Monday as an opportunity to sell items at full price or even above full price. Who is to say there won’t be a Cyber Tuesday, Thursday etc.

3. If you are buying online, it might take longer to get the product because Black Friday and Cyber Monday can put a lot of sales through that the fulfillment side has problems keeping up with. So many times there is a longer wait time.

Cyber Monday welcome message from robots
I guess they’re excited for cyber monday?

How retailers trick consumers on Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is a great day for retailers to offer amazing deals on their products. However, not all retailers are honest about their prices. Some retailers use tricks to make their prices seem lower than they actually are. Here are some of the most common ways that retailers trick consumers on Cyber Monday:

1. Listing the regular price as the “sale” price: This is a common pricing tactic used by retailers to make their products seem more affordable. They will list the regular price of an item and then offer it at a discount when in reality, the item was never actually priced that high, to begin with.

2. Offering inflated shipping costs: Another way retailers trick consumers on Cyber Monday is by offering inflated shipping costs. I have been looking at a specific product offer for a bit now, it was a two month supply of a coffee mix I wanted to try. Then I got an email saying EVERYTHING IS 50% off…. turns out that they just rid of that offer, so now I can buy two single month options… which is the same price as the previous 2 month deal…

Conclusion

Cyber Monday is a rip-off. The sales are not as good as they are advertised to be. You are better off waiting for the Boxing Day sales.

Honestly, there are some decent sales but the overall savings isn’t comparable to what we usually see on sale on Boxing Day. So really what is the point of this special day made solely to make people spend more money online?