Tips for a Secured Online Shopping Experience
Since the quarantine started, many of us turned to online shops to supply our daily essentials and buy other items that fulfill our wants and needs. But shopping online may be tricky especially if you are new to it.
Fraudulent activities and fake sellers are very rampant, even online. However, you can be smarter than these opportunistic individuals if you make sure you consider the four tips below to have a secured online shopping experience:
1. Make purchases on secure websites.
Before making a purchase, check if the website is an official and secure shopping site. One of the advantages in purchasing through secure websites is the consumer protection policy or a shopping guarantee wherein they protect shoppers from fake online sellers. Some websites require shoppers to verify first if the items have arrived before releasing payments to the sellers.
Another advantage is the customer service or support that is available for everyone. You can raise complaints about your products, your refund, and also if the item hasn’t arrived at your doorstep.
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1. Make purchases on secure websites.
Before making a purchase, check if the website is an official and secure shopping site. One of the advantages in purchasing through secure websites is the consumer protection policy or a shopping guarantee wherein they protect shoppers from fake online sellers. Some websites require shoppers to verify first if the items have arrived before releasing payments to the sellers.
Another advantage is the customer service or support that is available for everyone. You can raise complaints about your products, your refund, and also if the item hasn’t arrived at your doorstep.
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2. Check the identity of the seller.
Now that you’ve established the credibility of the website you want to transact, the next step is to check the authenticity and credibility of the sellers. Many of the known brands are already venturing to e-commerce and partnering with known platforms. If you want to purchase authentic items, you can look for a verified badge or an official logo on their accounts. If you’re still unsure of their identity, you can check their social networking sites and see if they mention anything about their official stores online.
There are some shops that also sell authentic and high-quality items even if they are not the official sellers of specific products. You can check the reviews of the shop, number of followers, and the number of items already sold.
2. Check the identity of the seller.
Now that you’ve established the credibility of the website you want to transact, the next step is to check the authenticity and credibility of the sellers. Many of the known brands are already venturing to e-commerce and partnering with known platforms. If you want to purchase authentic items, you can look for a verified badge or an official logo on their accounts. If you’re still unsure of their identity, you can check their social networking sites and see if they mention anything about their official stores online.
There are some shops that also sell authentic and high-quality items even if they are not the official sellers of specific products. You can check the reviews of the shop, number of followers, and the number of items already sold.
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3. Don’t buy if the deal is too good to be true.
You should not be fooled by very cheap items and extremely high discounts that you would see online. Items that have a very low price compared to original are commonly fake or defective items. If you want to purchase original items and the item is 75% cheaper than the original price, this is already considered a red flag and you might want to think twice if you want to purchase it.
But there are some high-quality items that are offered at extremely low prices from legit sellers because they got it through sales or wholesale prices. Check the reviews of the items before adding the items to your cart!
3. Don’t buy if the deal is too good to be true.
You should not be fooled by very cheap items and extremely high discounts that you would see online. Items that have a very low price compared to original are commonly fake or defective items. If you want to purchase original items and the item is 75% cheaper than the original price, this is already considered a red flag and you might want to think twice if you want to purchase it.
But there are some high-quality items that are offered at extremely low prices from legit sellers because they got it through sales or wholesale prices. Check the reviews of the items before adding the items to your cart!
4. Check reviews.
There are times when you want to know the actual quality of the product or if there are concerns about the seller. Luckily, when shopping online, there are a lot of sellers who post screenshots of proof of transactions, e-commerce websites have dedicated sections in the pages about the reviews of other buyers. Make sure to read these first so you won’t get scammed easily.
4. Check reviews.
There are times when you want to know the actual quality of the product or if there are concerns about the seller. Luckily, when shopping online, there are a lot of sellers who post screenshots of proof of transactions, e-commerce websites have dedicated sections in the pages about the reviews of other buyers. Make sure to read these first so you won’t get scammed easily.
It is easier to shop now that everything is within your reach. You won’t need to spend a lot of time just to go to different shops and buy what you need and want. Now, in a couple of minutes, you can check out your items and pay for your finds. When shopping online, the best way to beat scammers is to be smarter than them, so remember the tips provided above before you check out!
