Shopping from the comfort of your own home has become more frequent worldwide. The fact that you don’t have to go from store to store in order to shop for your next favourite outfit, gadget or maybe food, but you can make a purchase with a few simple clicks has made our lives much easier and offered us more time for other obligations. However, no matter how convenient online shopping may seem, if you’re a first-time buyer, you’ll need to know a few simple rules which will help you shop smart and always get the best quality for your money.
Make sure the site is secure
When shopping online you must know which web sites are safe to visit and shop from and which to avoid at all cost. Namely, to ensure a site is secure, look for a padlock and https in the URL bar of your browser once you’re on the web site you want to shop from. You’ll be able to find the padlock in the top right corner of the URL bar. Non-secure sites and pages begin with http://, while secure sites begin with https://. Unless you’ve heard a few people shopping from a certain site, it’s best to avoid those web sites. For starters, go to larger well-known online shops to make sure you get the product you paid for.
Ask around about trustworthiness
It’s imperative that the web site you want to shop from is trustworthy. Before you decide to put your credit card number out there and trust the online shop with your personal information and money, make sure they are reliable sellers. Ask your friends if they’ve ever had experience with an online store you’d like to shop from. Furthermore, Google the store and check for other people’s experiences, if there are any. Sometimes the site may look well-polished, but it turns out to be a complete fraud. So, stay safe and only shop from reliable online stores.
Always look for feedback and reviews
Reviews and feedback are some of the best indications of whether an online store is reliable or not. If, for example, you wish to buy red wine online, make sure you first check the reviews under the certain product you add to your cart. See whether other customers were satisfied with the shipment, quality of the wine and communication with the seller. Checking feedback and reviews is especially important when shopping for more expensive goods, such as wardrobe, gadgets or maybe jewellery. Often, the seller will upload high-quality photographs which were photoshopped in order to make the product look much more expensive and attractive. That’s why checking the photos that previous customers have uploaded will save you plenty of money and trouble of returning the dress because it turned out to be a completely different shade and cut from the one you saw in the picture.
Always look at sizing charts
If you plan to shop for wardrobe online, make sure you always check the sizing charts. You may be a size large in most of the stores, but at the online store you’re looking through, you may just turn out to be medium or even extra-large. Therefore, in order to save yourself the trouble of returning the product or giving it away to someone else instead, always check the sizing charts. There should also be a warning whether clothes might be a few inches narrower/shorter than the description box says, so always read the fine print too. Unless you’re meticulous with your shopping, you won’t always be satisfied with the purchase.
Check the return policy
Last, but certainly not least, always read the return policy. At many sites, you’ll be offered free returns, so always read the fine print. With some companies, you’ll have to establish an account and use their online form, while with others will include a slip. With some stores, you’ll even get an in-store return offer. It’s essential that you adhere to the timeline for returns as well. Don’t throw your return stub away because it contains the tracking number, and it’ll come in handy in the event something happens. Have a separate envelope where you’ll file them so you will have easy access to all the documentation.
Final thoughts
Online shopping is the easiest way to shop for your favourite products, but it does come with a few warnings. Therefore, be sure to have the previously mentioned tips in mind every time you’re one step away from ordering goods online.
