Tips for safe online shopping so as not to be deceived, it is important to take the following steps for safety and convenience.
Before the internet, to shop for basic daily needs, secondary to tertiary needs were usually carried out directly to where the seller was located.
The positive thing when we shop directly is that we can better guarantee the condition of the goods purchased with certainty. And, the goods are directly in our hands after being paid for.
One of the negatives about buying something outright is a matter of time and effort. This can then be overcome by online shopping activities thanks to internet technology.
The problem is, online shopping has the potential to create security and trust issues.
And now shopping is more comfortable and quiet thanks to the Cash on Delivery (COD) feature.
However, to be more secure, there are some tips to make your online shopping safe, as I have summarized below.
Tips for Safe Online Shopping and Not Being Fooled
By shopping online, we cannot be sure of the goods to be purchased directly. Is it genuine or imitation, do not know the seller and so on.
Online shopping activities can also threaten security if not done carefully. To avoid things that are not desirable, consider the following important tips:
1. Find out the Seller's Reputation
Before deciding to buy an item online, especially in the marketplace. It is important to do research beforehand on the store that sells the item to be purchased.
There are several steps you can take, namely making sure the status of the store is active or not, the length of the store's age, until the testimonials are more positive or negative.
2. Check Product Reviews
After making sure the seller is trustworthy, check the reviews of the product you want to buy from other users who have bought it first.
Check out the reviews one by one to the embedded photos so that you are more confident with the product you are going to buy.
3. Is the Price Fair?
Do not be tempted by cheap prices, because this can get you stuck. Compare the price of the same product with several stores at once.
Is the price reasonable? If the price comparison with each other a little is a natural thing. It will be suspicious if the price is too cheap or even far exceeds what is recommended.
If it is too cheap, there could be an intention to commit fraud or the item being sold is not the original product.
4. Read Product Description
If you have confirmed the reputation of the store and the price of the product is quite reasonable. Read the product description carefully.
First, match the title with the description on the product page. Make sure the name of the item, variant, specifications and completeness offered are appropriate.
If the information is incomplete, you can ask the seller directly through the message feature.
5. Pay attention to the Terms and Conditions
Each store has its own terms and conditions. Be it warranty period, return agreement and so on.
By paying attention to the terms and conditions imposed by each store, then we are ready to accept what has been promised by the seller.
6. Avoid Direct Transfers
Instead, choose a marketplace platform if we want to shop online. Because with this, when making payments there will be a party in the middle between the buyer and seller.
So, the buyer does not directly send the payment to the seller. However, it will be accommodated by the electronic commerce (e-commerce) party first, and will only be sent to the seller after it is confirmed that the goods have arrived safely.
Well, there may be a 'naughty' seller by asking the buyer to transfer a number of payments directly to his account. If this happens, do not want to accept the request.
Because most likely this is a scammer. By sending the payment directly to the seller's personal account, it will be difficult to request a refund if the item does not arrive.
7. Save Payment Proof
After a successful payment transaction, save the proof of payment carefully. This may be necessary in case of unforeseen things.
8. Ensure Device Security
When shopping online, prioritize using a laptop or personal smartphone device. Avoid shopping on the spot and using public devices, because their safety is not guaranteed.
In addition, try to install the best antivirus application that is able to ward off various threats in cyberspace that can attack at any time.
9. Check Packages and Delete Data Traces
If all things have been confirmed properly and the transaction went smoothly. So we just have to wait for the ordered items we buy to arrive at their destination.
After the package arrived at hand, is it ready? Of course not. The first thing to do is to open and check the contents inside the package.
Do the items in the package match what we bought? And, also make sure there is no damage to the product. If there is any damage, we can immediately report it for further handling.
It's not enough to stop there, usually when the goods are sent there will be a buyer's identity containing personal data. Such as name, address and telephone number.
Well, don't let that data just throw you in the trash. Before discarding the notepad that contains the data, cut it or destroy it so that it is unreadable.
This is to avoid fraud that could be on our behalf armed with the data listed on the shipping package.
Conclusion
Make sure the steps above are important every time we want to shop online. By following it, unwanted things can be avoided for the convenience and security of transacting online. For safer, more convenient and profitable online shopping.