Business Sphere

Do you shop online? Do you purchase goods or service through the internet?

image from www.metanomics.info

Many people nowadays are shopping online. I, for one, buy books from eBay and other bookstores on the Web, pay for my blog’s advertising online, and transact some business through the internet.

Indeed, shopping online is becoming popular these days. There are now tens of thousands of people coming online everyday from around the world to buy and to sell products and services.

Therefore, it is important that you know exactly how to shop online to make sure that you are safe, get a good deal, protect your rights as a buyer, especially your money. Below are the five important tips to make your online shopping hassle-free.

1. Use Your Credit Card

When shopping and purchasing online it is safer to use your credit card, as against your debit card.  Why credit card and not your debit card?

This is because when you use a credit card you can charge-back the merchant if you are not happy with the goods or service that you have bought.

In addition, you can safeguard yourself from online fraud. If there’s a fraud committed against your credit card you can just inform your issuer or the credit card company which will always give you a refund.

In case you use PayPal, which is linked to your credit card, you can dispute the charges with PayPal within 45 days.

On the other hand, if this happens to your debit card usually the bank will not give you a refund.

2. Shop Around, Compare Prices

When you shop online you will be surprised to know that there are many stores selling the good or service that you are looking to buy.

So, before you make purchases there, shop first by looking (browsing) in many online stores in relation to the product or service that you need. And don’t forget to consider shipping cost which is always part of the transaction.

For example, when I needed a rare book written by a well-known Japanese author of the 18^th century Japan, I’ve found it in a bookstore selling online, with a $12.00 price only. Yet, the shipping cost is another $15.00, making the total cost of the book to $ 25.00.

3. Look For Secure Payment Gateway

When shopping online it is important that you only enter your payment details via a secure payment gateway. Some stores put this in a notice, but others don’t.

How do you identify a secure payment gateway?  Look in the address bar on the page where you are going to enter your payment details. If it reads https:// rather than http:// then it means that your data is being encrypted and as such will likely get to where it is supposed to.  A case in point is PayPal, which has https:// in its address.

4. Read The Terms And Conditions

This may seem unimportant, but you should always read the terms and conditions before you make a purchase. This will forewarn you should anything goes wrong.  As a wise online shopper you must always understand the terms and conditions of sale before you click the “purchase” or “make payment” button.

5. Check For Contact Details

When you deal with an online store and pay them money it is safe to assume that you should be able to easily contact them when there’s a problem. For example, the product is not the same as ordered, arrived in a bad condition, or if there’s a warranty or a money-back-guaranty.

The rule of thumb to follow is: If you cannot find anything other than an email address then don’t give them your money!

Conclusion:

Shopping online provides you with convenience and fun, and is hassle-free, without leaving the comforts of your home. Following the foregoing tips will protect you and your money, making your shopping online always an enjoyable experience.