With the holiday season around the corner, people are dashing through stores buying for gifts! But ever since online shopping existed, more and more consumers have decided to stay indoors, get their gadgets ready, and shop online.
After all, what’s not to love? Online shopping is becoming a very convenient option for everyone. You can skip the hassles of going out, the congested traffic down the road, and the elbow-to-elbow shopping experience in brick and mortar stores. With online shopping, you make a list, check it twice, then add to cart! Go wild while looking through a plethora of options over the internet, with prices that can be a fraction from the department stores’. Indeed, what a pleasant thing!
It’s all rainbows and butterflies with online shopping until your credit card information gets swiped or you bought from bogus online entrepreneurs.
Like any other shiny, beautiful things, online shopping comes with awful disadvantages too. For one, it is very much prone to scamming schemes. Some people were victims of online scamming, and others had their credit card and other information stolen.
So, is this the time when you bid adios to online shopping? I bet not.
Even with all these ‘fishy’ trades, there are still ways to score some great deals online, safely and efficiently! You can get away from these eerie shopping experiences only if you’re careful enough. Here are some safety tips to remember when shopping online. Don’t let identity thefts, online scammers, and fake retail shops dampen the holiday spirit:
1: Shop only at trusted websites
The internet is filled with many retail shops. However, not all of them are legit. Some are fake and fabricated by people who only want to get access to your credit card information.
When shopping online, buy from companies you can trust. Big companies like bondereduction.ci/aliexpressand bcontemporary.ca/walmart have proven themselves time and again that they’re credible shopping partners. If you’ll buy from startup companies, always do a background check first.
Check if they’re accredited from the bureau. Ask around. Look for client testimonials. Unleash your detective skills whenever you’re buying from a new retail shop. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Bonus Tip: Their contact details can help determine if it’s a genuine company. They must have an email address and a phone number that works. To verify this, try contacting them. When it comes to the company’s address, cross-check if it’s accurate. If these bits of information aren’t shown on the website or don’t work at all, then that tells you to go and find another shop.
2: Be careful with super marked down prices
I know it’s very tempting to give these items a swipe on your card, but these are commonly one of the telltale signs that the company is up to no good.
That’s why it’s best to compare prices from other shops. Here you’ll get the gist on how much to expect for an item. And if an item has a rock bottom price, move along. Because when a price is too good to be true, it probably is. The company may never have that item in stock and only want your credit card information.
3: Do your biddings at home
We’re all too familiar with this – checking our social media accounts, posting selfies, and taking our shopping sprees to a coffee shop while enjoying a cup of joe. For as long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection, there’s no problem, right?
However, these public internet connections are where most hackers loom around. It is easier for them to intercept the data, get access to your information, and use it to their will. It’s for this reason why you must NEVER log in to your social media accounts, do some important business transactions, or do any financial biddings. Keep your private matters at home instead.
But if you can’t resist the urge of adding items to your cart while sipping your caramel macchiato, consider using a VPN (virtual private network). It gives you secure access when browsing the web.
There you go! Hopefully, you’ll get all your presents ready – and without breaking a sweat – just in time for the holiday season! If you have other online shopping foolproof tips to add, please feel free to tell us in the comment section below. Don’t forget to share these with your shopping buddies too!
