Amid the current global pandemic, more people than ever are making their purchases online. But while this can be incredibly convenient, if you’re not careful, you could wind up spending more money than you intended, not getting what you want, or giving shady characters access to your sensitive information.
To help ensure that none of these things happen to you, here are three tips for making smarter online purchases.
Shop From Trusted Businesses
The very first thing you should determine when shopping online is if you’re working with a trusted business. Without this information, you could be taking a huge risk in all of the above-mentioned areas.
To know if you should trust an online business, Oprah.com advises that you do some research about the person or business that you’re shopping from if you don’t already have a rapport with them. For example, if you’re shopping from an online gun store, make sure you look at their reviews, check how other customers have rated their experiences, and find evidence that they have worked successfully with others in the past. This type of research is also important if you’re planning to shop from small businesses online or get something secondhand, as you’ll always want to work with reputable sellers so you can feel confident in your transaction.
Check For Coupons And Codes
When shopping online, there are a myriad of ways that you can go about getting a discount on your purchase or at least making sure that you’re not overpaying for something.
One way you can do this, according to Elena Prokopets, a contributor to Lifehack.org, is to use any number of apps or web browser extensions that will check for coupons or discount codes for you. Since many of these options are free, you’re really just losing money if you don’t sign up for these services and use them before you make any purchases online.
Double-Check Sizes
As we all know, pictures online can be deceiving. What you think you’re getting may turn out not to be what you thought once it arrives at your door.
To avoid this type of miscommunication or deceit in the future, you should always try to find actual measurements for the items that you’re looking for. This way, you’ll know about how big the item is that you’ll be getting. Especially with clothes, Maria Lalonde, a contributor to U.S. News and World Report, recommends that you look at the specific retailer’s sizing information to ensure whatever you’re ordering will be the size you’re expecting.
If you’ve had bad experience making online purchases in the past, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you make smart choices in the future.
0
0
