Online shopping is convenient. It often lets you find the best prices, and you can enjoy delivery right to your front door. However, it is important that you do it the safe way. Below are some tips for a better and safer online shopping experience.
- Seek out the best deal by comparing total costs of similar products offered by different sellers, including shipping and handling. When ‘free’ shipping is offered, find out what the conditions are – does it apply to only certain products, and do you have to spend a minimum amount to qualify for it?
- Check out the Return Policy of the seller. Find out whether the seller accepts returns and / or allows exchange of goods sold. If they do, then what is the period within which return or exchange is acceptable? Will the shipping cost on a return or exchange be borne by you or the seller? Do they charge ‘restocking’ fees?
- Read the Privacy Policy on the seller’s website to find out how your personal information will be used if you decide to buy from them.
- When you are ready to make a purchase, make sure that the seller’s site is secure before you enter your financial or personal information. Ensure that your purchase is carried out on a web page with a URL prefixed by https (the ‘s’ stands for secure), which indicates that the data is encrypted. Avoid entering details on sites that your browser flags as “Not Secure”.
- It is advisable to pay with credit cards or secure third-party payment services instead of using direct bank transfers. Credit cards allow you to seek a chargeback from the issuer if the product is not what you ordered or is never delivered. Moreover, if your card details are compromised, your liability for unauthorised charges is typically limited.
- Save and keep digital records of your online transactions, including:
- Description and price of the product you purchased.
- Online receipt and confirmation number.
- Copies of any email correspondence between you and the seller.
Also, when you receive your credit card statements, do read through the entries to make sure there are no unauthorised charges.