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Finally- years of online shopping experience, put to some good use.  

I have been shopping online since before it was cool to shop online. Ever since Amazon and Myntra rose to support the consumer base, traditional shopping took a hit. Maybe not massively before, but after the pandemic- whew! Everyone is comfortable shopping online now- with a few clicks from their couch, they can literally order anything. 

I have experienced a few things during my journey as an ‘online shopper”. Online scams, delivery problems, and return policy troubles are a few of them. Here are eight small tips for online shopping for a better experience:

Reputed Site 

Primarily, make sure you can trust the online platform you’re using. Often a site looks legit, the payment is secure, but the order doesn’t turn out good. Try to opt for COD in cases like these. If there isn’t an option for that, avoid shopping from them. Surely you can find the products you need at a better-trusted site. 

Reviews and Product Details 

Reviews can tell a lot about a product in the case of online shopping. Sites like Amazon provide a ton of reviews for almost all items that can help you finalize your decision about an item. These are particularly helpful for expensive items, tricky deliveries, and electronics. Most sites also display elaborate product details just underneath. Go through them, do your research, and then move further. 

Shipping Cost and Terms

There is usually a minimum amount of order for free shipping. While this helps you to save money, it can also make you spend more. You might add items to your cart just to save a few bucks. You will ultimately spend more than you intended in the first place. Check the shipping cost before increasing your bill. If the amount is decently affordable, it is better to pay the charge rather than buy a few more things you don’t need. 

Return Policy

Before you place an order anywhere make sure to check their return policy. Most of the sites offer a good return period but some of the products do not fall under them. Those products are marked as ‘non-returnable’ in the details, which are usually left unseen. Ensure that you’re aware of the same before confirming your order. 

Order Confirmation

You must receive an email or a message about your order. Most sites send a mail within five minutes after you click ‘place order’. This is even more important when you have prepaid for the same. I had a similar experience with quite a popular brand- where I thought my order had been placed, but it hadn’t. I checked after a couple of weeks for any confirmation or detail, but there was none. Thankfully, I hadn’t paid for it till then. Do keep a lookout for the confirmation mail. 

Customer Care and Complaint

Reputed sites usually have customer care contacts for your concerns. Don’t be shy to approach them in any case. Whether your order is delayed, or there is a return problem, call them without any hesitation and put up your issue. You can call them as many times as it takes to resolve your concern. I had a similar experience with Amazon, where I called them four times in a week to get my problem solved. If there is no response from the number, approach them on their social media handles with reviews or comments. 

Time Scams

Other than charm pricing, sites use things like ‘only 2 items in stock’ or ‘price drop only for a few hours’ to lure customers. This creates urgency with their consumers and they are more likely to shop quickly. The stock items might be true sometimes, but more often than not, they’re a scheme for more sales. And prices are always at a discount. No matter when I shop, there is a crossed price beside the actual price to instill a feeling of saving money. Don’t fall for the time scams, buy products as you need them.

Don’t overshare

No shopping site requires your Aadhar card no. for placing an order. Other than basic requirements like card no, shipping address, phone no, etc, avoid sharing any kind of sensitive information. Only fill in the information that is needed. 

Hopefully, these tips will help you to save money in some cases and have an efficient online experience. Let me know in the comments below about any other tips or experiences you might have had while shopping. That’s all for today!

Keep the efficient vibes flowing, 

Pranjali