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Australian shoppers are expected to spend more than $3 billion in the Boxing Day sales. (Diego Fedele\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n Australian shoppers are expected to spend more than $3 billion in the Boxing Day sales. (Diego Fedele\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
As bumper Boxing Day sales begin, shoppers are being cautioned to closely track prices to ensure they’re getting genuine bargains not illusory offers.<\/p>\n
The total spend this year is expected to surpass $3.1 billion.<\/p>\n
One in three Australians, equivalent to more than seven million, plan to shop the sales in 2025, according to comparison website Finder.<\/p>\n
Before shoppers head for a bargain, there are some things people should do to ensure they come away with the best deals.<\/p>\n
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Shoppers should check prices before they head to the sales to ensure they’re getting a bargain. (Steven Saphore\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
Tracking prices ahead of time made it easier to spot real discounts, Finder money expert Rebecca Pike said.<\/p>\n
“Signing up to retailer mailing lists can also pay off, with early access and subscriber-only offers often released before the public sales go live,” she said.<\/p>\n
Tracking allows customers to identify when a retailer has marked up items before a sale or compared discounts against recommended, not actual, prices.<\/p>\n
Shoppers should always compare final prices across different stores to ensure they are getting the best value. <\/p>\n
To get more bang for their buck, stacking discounts with cashback offers, loyalty points, coupon codes or credit card rewards can also pay off, Finder said.<\/p>\n
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It’s also important to check for different return policies in the Boxing Day sales. (Steven Saphore\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
Customers should also read retailer policies before buying, with many Boxing Day purchases coming with tighter conditions, including shorter refund windows or no-return caveats.<\/p>\n
Ms Pike urged shoppers to avoid getting sucked into buying things they don’t need just because they looked like a good deal.<\/p>\n
“Stick to a list and have a strict budget in place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
But as they rush to secure the best bargains, shoppers should also prepare for an influx of scams as bad actors hunt for a post-Christmas payday.<\/p>\n
Australians have lost about $40 million to buying and selling scams over the past year, with almost two-thirds having experienced a shopping scam, according to research from the Australian Banking Association.<\/p>\n
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Scammers are expected to ramp up activity from Boxing Day with buyers warned to be on guard. (Lukas Coch\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
Fake order confirmations, in which people get a notification about an order they never placed and are asked to click a link, are the most common type of shopping scam.<\/p>\n
Social media shopping scams in which sellers vanish after payment are also frequent.<\/p>\n
Scammers were evolving their tactics with artificial intelligence to mirror legitimate businesses to rope in more victims, banking association boss Simon Birmingham said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDouble-check you\u2019re purchasing from a legitimate website and watch out for text messages about missed deliveries, as this is a common way for scammers to get you to hand over personal or financial details,” he said.<\/p>\n