Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular, in part because of the convenience associated with the experience. From the comfort of your living room, you can buy clothing, toys or just about any product or service that you need. The following tips will help you the next time you decide to open up your computer and make a purchase.
When shopping online, choose the best shipping policy. Many times companies offer expedited shipping. However, many times getting the product one day earlier can cost you as much as twice the normal shipping price. Therefore, if you can wait on the product to arrive using normal shipping instead of expedited shipping, choose standard shipping to save money.
Sign up for the website’s newsletter if they have one. Many times stores will give you a discount or some type of deal when you sign up for their newsletter. Find out if there is a deal associated with signing up for the newsletter at any store you want to shop at.
If you’re considering buying a product online, check out the reviews. The reviews from other people that have used the product will be able to give you a good idea about the product. You may be able to find out the quality of the product, if it worked as described, and if you should make the purchase.
If you are doing any online shopping, make sure that you keep all records of any purchase. If the company sends you an e-mail confirmation, do not delete it, just save it. Never delete or throw away any communication you have with the store. Most email providers can let you save thousands of messages, so one or two mails will not take up too much space.
When shopping online, always stop to read product reviews. Other customer’s reviews are one of your biggest assets. They will tell you whether clothing sizes run small or large, if there are any common issues with a product, or if it isn’t quite what the website describes. Taking these reviews into account could save you some big headaches later on.
When shopping online for multiple items, consider using one online retailer rather than multiple retailers. This is because each retailer charges shipping and handling fees. If you order from two separate retailers, you will be doubly charged for shipping and handling. Instead, purchase from one retailer even if the prices are slightly higher.
Discount websites are the best places to get deals when shopping online. Websites like Overstock.com get their merchandise from manufacturers that were unable to sell their products at retail stores. This is how they are able to sell their products so cheaply. Try to make purchases through these sites before looking at “normal” sites.
Unless you need an item right away, avoid choosing the expedited shipping option when shopping online. Most websites will charge you a fortune to have your items delivered the next day or the day after. Most of the time, standard shipping is much cheaper and your items will still come within a few days.
Before completing a purchase, be sure that the website is secure. There are a couple of ways to tell this. Check for the letters “https” in the web address or look for an icon of a closed lock or an unbroken key at the bottom of your screen. Don’t worry if the “s” is not included in the web address right away, sometimes it is only present on the checkout page.
Shopping for wedding or baby gifts is much easier now that the recipients can register online and you can browse their selections, see what has already been purchased and pick out something that suits your budget and their needs. You can also choose to have the item delivered directly to them which saves time and money.
If you want to do some shopping online, check with your credit card company and see if they offer one-time use credit card numbers. These card numbers can only be used one time and protect your “real” credit card number from theft. This service is almost always free to account holders.
Be careful with online stores asking for too much information. You only need to provide a store with your name, address and payment information. You should never give your social security number or driver’s licence number to an online store. Choose another store if you are prompted for personal information when ordering a product.
Online shopping is increasingly popular as people realize that fuel costs, traffic issues and the aggravation of brick and mortar stores can be avoided. You may think that online shopping may cost more because of shipping but if you do an actual fuel, time and effort cost analysis, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Don’t “talk” to anyone that you don’t really know on social media sites, and that includes companies that you have shopped with in the past. Social media sites are vulnerable to hackers, so you never know who is behind the messages you receive. Simply delete messages that are not from real people.
Never purchase something online from an online store that you have never heard of without verifying their reputation. Many people set up fronts online with the sole purpose of ripping off consumers. In order to protect yourself you should always look for reviews for the company before you decide to buy.
When making an online purchase, only provide the minimum information required from you. This information is often denoted with an asterisk and typically includes your name, address, and payment information. Leave all optional fields blank. This optional information is often used by companies to study demographics, but could also lead to spam messages or other unwanted solicitation.
Regardless of whether you are a novice or an experienced online shopper, the tips listed above should be beneficial to you going forward. Shopping online can be a lot of fun, but it is not without its pitfalls. If you are smart about what you do, however, you can get great products quickly and easily just by using your computer.
