Shopping online has become a daily activity, and E-commerce stores have experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Many conventional stores have opened a space to allow online purchases, be it food, clothing, or gardening.
Finding any product on the Internet with just one click, even products that you do not consume, at your fingertips in the stores you know, is one of the great benefits of shopping online. Another great benefit is the expediency of having your order delivered to your door and, therefore, it is not necessary to move or walk the aisles of the stores in search of what you want.
However, despite its exceptional growth, there are still people who are reluctant to shop online, either because they prefer contact with the seller or because of the fear of being rob when putting a credit card or account number on a Web page. Therefore, we will explain how you can make sure you make a safe purchase online, and we are going to stretch some tips that will improve this experience even more.
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Advantages and disadvantages of online shopping
Buying over the Internet has advantages for buyers and sellers, who are more likely to sell their products. For example, among the main benefits that customers find is the possibility of accessing products that are very far from their area, buying without the need to waste time queuing and doing it every day at any time.
Other advantages are the ability to track where the package is, that you don’t have to handle cash, and the immediate purchase of downloaded products, whether they are movies, CDs, electronic books, or software.
For sellers, what matters is that transactions are done quickly and efficiently, and they can personalize the customer experience. This factor can ensure that they come back to buy again. Staff costs are also reduced, and inventory management is more manageable, allowing products to be replenish before they run out and always available to the customer. There are no space limitations, so more can be offered. Customer products.
Finally, note that the importance of the store’s location is reduced since, as a user, you are not going to move to buy, and there are more possibilities of selling products that are considere “rare” because, on the Internet, there are many potential customers to buy. Those that may interest you.
However, some drawbacks can make you rethink the possibility of buying online. One of the main problems is the trouble you have as a customer detecting scams, so the fear of being deceive and robbed will make you prefer a physical store to buy. Another drawback is the lack of communication between seller and buyer, something that some users value a lot, or the impossibility of trying the product before buying it.
Absolute dependence on the Internet when making online purchases can also become inconvenient, which can harm some groups. Older people, who usually do not use the computer, or those who live in areas with no access to this technology, may be disadvantage and do not enjoy the advantages of online shopping.
How to know if a site is safe to buy online?
In the same way that before buying in a store, you listen to opinions or references to have an initial idea and decide whether to accept or not, you should do the same when you buy online. You cannot venture to buy a product, however exclusive it may be, from a web page without considering a series of previous considerations.
The web page where you are going to buy has to be clear, simple and have all the necessary information to check its reliability. An aspect to consider would be, for example, if the page has secure purchase certificates or the Online Trust Seal. This badge lets you know that the website in question has a system that guarantees that all transactions are secure. The page has the symbol of a green padlock in its direction is another symbol of security for the user. This ensures that your identity is verified and, therefore, payments can made in complete safety.
Likewise, other formal aspects allow you to differentiate reliable web pages from possible scams. Spelling mistakes in the texts. A poor organization of the elements that cause a chaotic appearance or poorly cared for aesthetics. And a poor quality interface that does not allow users to navigate quickly or efficiently can be symptoms that this website is not trustworthy.
It would be best if you also looked at the possibilities of contacting the seller. The website must have a query system that allows you to send your questions to be answer by customer service. You must know who to address in the event of having a query or claim. So the website must provide the company’s contact details, such as its location or the details of the persons responsible.
Tips for Shopping insurance
After seeing the advantages and disadvantages of ordering over the Internet and what to do to know if a website is safe and allows you to make this type of purchase without any concern. We are going to give you some tips that will ensure that your purchases on the Internet are safe. It is advisable to follow these tips every time you make an online purchase to avoid being a victim of a scam and to be able to enjoy your purchase to the fullest.
- Set up the device, be it the mobile or the computer, with which you will buy. This implies installing antivirus to rule out any virus coming from the shopping website that can collect your information Scam you. And establish secure payment methods.
- When creating an account on the store’s website, avoid using easy passwords so that no one can access it. It is recommend to combine uppercase and lowercase letters with numbers. And not to put birthday dates or names of close relatives. In addition to using different passwords on each account.
- Always buy on web pages of recognized brands that inspire confidence and of which you have previous references. Searching the Internet. You can find references or opinions from other clients that will help you decide whether to buy or not. Although you should not rely on a single source of information.
- Examine the web page where you will buy and pay special attention to its URL. Suppose the address commences with HTTPS, and there is a lock. In that case, it means that the information it transmits is encrypt.
- Use, if possible. A card or account for exclusive use to make online payments and preferably credit rather than debit. Since these have the legal protection that allows you to combat their fraudulent use. If you use an account only for this. We make sure that all your money is not stolen case of being scam.
- Make sure your internet connection is secure before making the payment. Also, use safe payment methods that allow you to avoid unpleasant surprises when buying.
- Do not use a public Wi-Fi connection to make payments. As these do not offer security guarantees, and it is easier for your information to stolen.
- Beware of great bargains, such as very major discounts. If the offer is too good, it’s probably just a flashy message for you to fall for a scam shopping.
- Review the bank operations after purchasing to verify that only. The purchase product’s price has been charge and there are no suspicious operations in your bank account.
- Know your rights. You can withdraw from a purchase within 14 days of making. It without having to give any explanations and at no cost. You should make sure that you can use this option and monitor. The seller’s reaction to doing so to see if it is a scam.