There are some impeccable advantages of online shopping and we all know that. Gone are the days when you have to stand in the billing lines with your shopping bags in the malls. E-commerce has changed everything and gave a paradigm shift to the way we shop and it is here to stay for a long period. Thanks to those discount coupons and deals, online shopping has been embraced by the millennials and they prefer to shop while resting at their homes.
However, most of the customers end up making some mistakes while shopping online. Ideally, you should not make such mistakes and we are here to help you out with that. Here is a list of 10 mistakes you usually make and should alert when you shop online next time.
1. Don’t store your personal information
Most of the shopping websites ask for our private credit or debit card details and we provide them. That’s perfectly fine. What you should avoid is to save this information for future use. It is something that will make you vulnerable online. There are many such cases we have heard where people become victims of online data breaches and hackers shop with their credit cards. It certainly seems convenient and comforting to save your personal payment information for future purchases, there are risks associated with it and you should avoid it. What does it take? You have to type the same number of your credit card every time you make an order and it is perfectly fine rather than compromising your valuable details.
Also, there are many chances that you will end up shopping more when your personal information is saved as you will need just a few clicks to shop. Never save your credit or debit card information on the website. A big no to that.
2. Know the prices from different stores
There is an ongoing tendency among people that they just make orders without checking prices of the items on different websites. For example, if you want to buy a book from Amazon, check the price on other bookselling websites and make a smart shop. Why should you pay more when the same item is available at a reduced price on another website? It takes just a few clicks to check out the prices and you should do that to save some money. Next time, when you shop, don’t forget to check out the prices on other websites.
3. Don’t shop without coupons
Why don’t you shop with discount coupons when they are available? There are some dedicated websites where you can get many discount coupons and deals to save some money while shopping online. Some examples of these coupon websites are RetailMeNot and CouponCabin. Visit these websites and grab all the coupons available for you and enjoy shopping while saving some money. It is a painless process and takes just a few clicks and you are ready to go.
4. Don’t rely on reviews
This is a common mistake that we all make. What is the one authentic source to know whether the product is good or not and we all will jump on the answer- reviews. Well, it is not. Yes, reviews can be helpful sometimes, but relying on them every time you buy a new item online is not a healthy thing to do. There are paid review campaigns run by the companies as they want to lure you to buy things. You should not get trapped in this propaganda. There are websites where you can check whether the reviews are genuine or not such as Fakespot and ReviewMeta. These are dedicated websites that have their algorithms to decide the authenticity of the reviews and will ensure that you identify genuine and fake reviews.
5. Read return policy carefully
What if you end up receiving a product that is not up to the mark and of poor quality? You just return the product and find out that the return policy does not apply to this purchase. You should have learned it first. Never make an order without reading a return policy as it is very crucial. The return policy should be clear, generous enough and must state all the conditions. Does the site accept the item if it is opened? What is the time duration of the item to return? Will the site offer you a refund of the returned item or ask you to replace the item with the other one? These are the questions you need to check in the return policy page.
6. Don’t use a public WiFi connection for shopping
Yes, when you are using a public WiFi connection, you are not secure as your sensitive information can be leaked and you might become the victim of theft or online hacking. If you want to purchase any item, always use your mobile data connection or a personal WiFi connection. Never use a public WiFi connection for online shopping.
7. Don’t fall for fake prices
You might just get a push notification that there is a sale of 50% off happening on a website and you jump from your sofa and open the app and make purchases. Did you know the original prices for these items you just purchased? If not, just check it once and you will understand the trap set by the website. Most of the times, the original prices are inflated and then huge discounts are offered and people just go crazy over that. Take some time and find out base prices for the item and check whether there is a genuine discount on the website or not.
8. Don’t pay with a debit card
When you shop with a debit card, it is same as using cash. The moment you shop, the money is debited from your bank account. Also, debit card numbers are vulnerable to hacking and inline theft.
On the other hand, when someone uses your credit card to make some purchases, you are not eligible to pay for that once you report to the bank. The bank will investigate the matter and catch the culprits. You are safe there. Also, as per the federal law, credit card transactions are more safe and secure compared to debit cards. Always use your credit card for online purchases.
9. Don’t ignore shipping costs
You must have done this before and hated it for being ignorant, don’t you? Well, the easy way is to check out whether the company charges for shipping the product to your home or not. Most of the shopping websites offer free shipping nowadays except international purchases, but still, you should check this to avoid paying more for items.
10. Don’t shop from unknown and unsecured websites
Don’t lure by those pop-ups offering the best discounts and deals for online shopping as most of these websites are not secured and can jeopardize your personal information. Always shop with genuine and authentic websites such as Amazon or eBay and other authorized websites.