The five commandments of online shopping
Online sites have been luring customers with big discounts
Mumbai: You must be going crazy over online shopping as each day passes. The growing number of online shopping sites that offer lucrative deales on anything under the sun are luring more and more people towards the e-shops.
Moreover, there are those who do not enjoy shopping and prefer to get products delivered right to the doorstep. But remember, a coin has two sides; there are certain things that must always be considered before clicking the “buy now” button. Let us look at five most significant commandments that one must ensure before shopping online.
Buy Only from Trustworthy Sites:
With the increase in popularity of online shopping Websites, a large number of e-commerce sites have been mushrooming. While some of the new Websites are genuine ones offering consumers a good choice of products, an equally large number of them are imitators and not trustworthy.
The onus on staying safe online and doing a secure transaction lies with the consumer and it is better to make all online purchases through trustworthy Websites only. Use the power of social media to know details about the credibility of a new website.
Make sure to check if the Website has SSL encryption for all its payment transactions. If the payment gateway is not secured, it is better to leave the website without making a purchase. Another good option could be to opt for cash on delivery while purchasing a product from a new online commerce Web portal.
Activate Mobile Alert:
It is a good idea to activate your mobile alert for Net banking or any online purchase. It is seen that during peak hours or during flash sales, a number of e-commerce Websites receive heavy traffic. This effectively slows down payment gateways. Sometimes the payment gateways process the payment and the money is withdrawn from the buyer’s account but does not reflect in a confirmed purchase. If you have an active mobile alert, the buyer can know if the payment gateway has indeed processed his or her request and made the payment to the e-commerce website. A copy of the mobile alert can be shared with the e-commerce portal in case of any dispute.
Understand Warranty Woes before buying:
If you are planning to buy electronic gadgets like smartphones or tablets from e-commerce Websites, you must understand warranty details. A number of electronic equipment manufacturers do not offer product warranty for products sold online, unless it is the official online store.
While buying electronic gadgets online can mean a cheaper buying price, a lack of warranty makes it vulnerable to future repairs and manufacturing defects, something which is quite common in electronic gadgets.
Read the fine Print for Big Discount Deals:
A lot of discount sales are too good to resist. If you are one of those lured by such discounts, make sure to check the return and replacement policy before placing your order. Most of the big discounted sales are often for a limited size and colours. There is usually no replacement or exchange for goods sold under such big discounted deals.
If you do not get the right fit or the right colour, the purchase would not be excha-nged or replaced. Always check the fine print for each online deal and do not decide for or against making any purchase based on its selling price alone.
Stay away from Exaggerated Offers:
Many online portals come with exaggerated offers that sound too good to be true. While there can be a small discount on any product, sites selling products much below their cost price should ring the alarm bell.
There is a high chance of such products, which are sold lower than their cost price to be either counterfeit or defective. You need to make sure to avoid such exaggerated deals to avoid any heartbreak post purchase.
( Source : dc )
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