Advantages of Online Shopping

There are many advantages of online shopping. It can be more convenient, save time and in some cases be cheaper than visiting the shops.

Convenience

If shopping online, you are not restricted to opening hours. If it suits you, you can shop in the middle of the night. This is especially useful for those who work during the same hours as shop opening hours, as most people do. If you work all week then you only have the weekend to visit the shops whereas online shopping is available to you whenever you want it.

People who may find a trip to the shops a struggle, for example the elderly and disabled, particularly benefit as they won’t have the same potential problems if they choose to shop online.

One area where shopping on the internet can be particularly convenient is when searching for products. If you can’t find something in the shops you have to spend time searching for it or ask a member of staff, who might be busy meaning you have to wait. When online you will usually only have to type a query into a search box and it will be automatically found for you.

Anyone who has been shopping during the post-Christmas or Summer sales will know how chaotic they can be. During sales many retailers have the same products at the same low prices on their websites.

Saves on Travel Time

Not needing to travel saves both money and time. There is no need to pay for petrol or public transport. If someone lives half an hour away from the town centre that means that even for quickly purchasing one product it will take over an hour. Doing so online may only take five minutes. If a product is not available then going to the shops is wasted time. You are much more likely to find it on the internet, and even if you don’t then you have not spent the same amount of time looking for it.

Useful If there is No Branch Near You

If there is a particular shop you like that doesn’t have a local branch then you will have to travel a long distance to shop there. If they have an online shopping facility you only have to walk to your computer to purchase from them.

Cheaper Prices

Although not always the case, there are times when there are online offers not available in the shops. This means possible opportunities for further savings in addition to the travel costs being saved.

Price Comparison

It is much easier to compare prices online than when visiting physical shops. You can quickly check out several websites in a few minutes rather than having to travel between many shops that might be some distance apart. Plus, for certain products you can use price comparison websites.

Reviews

Customer reviews are a useful way of judging the quality of a company’s products and services. You may not be able to trust them all but it will give you a general idea. This gives you the advantage of being able to compare the quality of different retailers according to their customers.

There are so many advantages of shopping online, but there are also the much publicised security risks to be aware of. Below are some safe online shopping tips:

Don’t use Websites you don’t Trust.

This is the basic principle of shopping on the internet. If in doubt about a website, exercise caution and don’t you it.

Make sure any Transactions are Safe

Two things to particularly look out for are the ‘https’ prefix and the lock symbol. The URL (website address) of any secure webpage will begin with ‘https’ instead of the usual ‘http’. There will also be a lock symbol in the URL box.

Check Phone Numbers and Addresses

If unsure about a websites safety check to see if they have a phone number and address listed on the site. All genuine businesses should have this. If still in doubt give them a call. This is a good way of making sure they are a physical company and not a website quickly set up to rip people off.

Use a Credit Card if Possible

Using a credit card is safer than using a debit card. The credit card company is responsible meaning you are better protected should something go wrong.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Safe Online Shopping Tips

With Christmas coming up the number of people shopping online is likely to be the highest it has even been. With many great offers available internet shopping has increased significantly in recent times. Monday 29th November is expected to be the busiest even online shopping day in the UK. It is being dubbed ‘Magic Monday’.

There are advantages to shopping online. You can avoid the crowds, you don’t have to leave your computer, and there are many great deals available that you can’t get in the shops. However, there are also things to be wary of. There are people who use internet shopping to their advantage to carry out malicious attacks to either damage people’s computers, or to gain their payment details. This has made internet safety imperative.

So what can you do to avoid being defrauded? Here are some tips for safe online shopping.

The first thing you should do is make sure your computer is up to date with the latest anti-virus software and spam filters. This will ensure you have the best protection possible against those wishing to attack your computer with viruses. It is important though, to make sure these are genuine products. Be careful as some software advertised as anti-virus can actually attack your computer with a virus, which will either damage your computer or gain access to confidential information stored on your computer.

Before purchasing through a website it is important to make sure you check it is safe. It is wise to make sure the company in question has a telephone number and address on their website. If they do not they may not be a reputable business. You might even want to give the company a call if you have any doubts. It is a good idea to use businesses that you know of, as you know you can trust them.

For any websites that you are unsure of you should carry out some research. It is a good idea to type the name of the website into a search engine and ask about it on relevant forums. If people have been fooled by them before you will usually find someone has written about it to warn others.

If a website has what seems like ridiculous offers then be wary. If prices are way under the norm then don’t trust it unless you are sure. Although it may be genuine it isn’t worth the risk if you are unsure.

When purchasing online you should ideally pay using a credit card, which gives you more rights should there be a problem. PIN’s are never required for online purchases so if a site asks for this do not enter it and use a different website instead. There are two things you should look for in the address box to make sure a payment is secure. For a secure payment the URL should begin with ‘https’ rather than the usual ‘http’. There should also be a lock symbol. If you have entered any card details and then realise you have made a mistake and are suspicious of the site, contact your bank immediately and explain the situation.

The most basic advice when it comes to internet shopping is not to take risks. If you have suspicions about a website, don’t use it. It is not worth the risk to save a little money or inconvenience if you are risking your computer being hacked into or your payment details being obtained by criminals.

Andrew Marshall (c)