Many people just don’t like to go shopping for one reason or another. It could be that they don’t like crowds, or they may dislike driving around and looking for a place to park. If you need to shop, and you don’t like hitting the malls, you can do it online and often save yourself some big money.
Look to Amazon.com to save you big, even on things that you may never think to buy online. Amazon has gotten so large that it’s more of a surprise when they don’t have something available. You can even do much of your dry goods grocery shopping right from their store, often at the cheapest prices around.
Signing up for a websites newsletter can get you special offers and discounts for the sites that you shop at most often. New customers often get the best deals. They’ll keep giving deals that are good to people that have any kind of interest in their brand, so signing up can save you a lot.
Online shopping is most safely done from a secure computer connection such as the one you maintain in your home. Public places that offer free access to Wi-Fi are not secure and easily hacked by unscrupulous criminals.
If a website is not secure, do not make a purchase. Simply look up at the web address when you are shopping. If you notice an “https” instead of an “http,” you can feel confident enough to insert your credit card information. However, if there is no “s” in the address, move on to a different site to be on the safe side.
Don’t supply too much information. It should be no surprise that a shopping site will need your credit card information in order to bill you, and your address so that you can receive your items. However, use caution if more information is asked. No shopping site should ever need your social security number, and even your birth date may be too much information. Those pieces of information, combined with your credit card number can be used by an identity thief to wreak havoc.
Realize that restocking fees may apply if you must return an item. A restocking fee can be as much as one quarter of the price of the item. This fee may increase your overall price if you must return the item. Therefore, ensure that you order the correct size to avoid this additional fee.
If you make a purchase and you are directed to a confirmation page that fails to load, never hit the button that refreshes the page. if you do this, you run this risk of being billed multiple times. If you must confirm your purchase, contact the company or check your credit card statement.
If you followed a link from an email an online store sent you, pay attention to the URL. Some scammers send fake emails that look just like what a popular email store would send except that the URL is slightly different. Make sure you received an email from an official address and check the URL of the link you followed.
Sign up on online communities that focus on finding bargains online. Forum members post their best bargain finds and daily deals for other members to enjoy. This is a great way to stay posted on the bargains that pop up everyday. You just never know if something that you want goes on sale.
Use price comparison websites like PriceGrabber.com to find the best deals online. They allow you to check out every online store which sells the item you are looking for, plus they include important information like shipping costs and availability. You also need to check out warranties and store ratings to choose the best option.
Put a password on your smartphone and tablet devices. Many people do not realize that their smartphone or tablet stores their credit card information on the phone. If your smartphone or tablet is stolen, thieves will be able to see your personal information and credit card information. By putting a password on your device, you can help protect yourself.
When shopping online for apparel, be sure you check out the site’s return policy. Apparel is one of the hardest things to shop for on the Internet, as you cannot be sure whether or not the item will fit you. Only purchase apparel from a site that has a solid return or exchange policy.
Amazon.com is a great place to get deals, but the real steals are often found in the used products available. When you buy refurbished, you often get an item which is even better than new as it has been rigorously tested. Other used products can be priced at super low rates.
If you are making purchases through sites like eBay or Amazon Marketplace, make sure that the seller has a high rating of good customer service. If a seller has a high percentage of complaints, that raises the odds of you not being satisfied with your order. Dealing with sellers with a good reputation will minimize your risk.
Don’t follow all links in emails. While some companies send their subscribers special email links to follow, if they are hacked, someone can put a bad link in there. If at all possible, go directly to the site itself when you plan to make a purchase, just to be safe.
If given a choice to leave your information in an account, think carefully before you do. The inconvenience of having to type in numbers again means nothing if you have saved your identity and financial information. Most sites never have a problem, but it’s something that you definitely want to think about.
As you can now see, shopping online from the comfort of your home is easy and convenient. You no longer have to make the uncomfortable trek to big shopping centers to find what you need. Just go online to find what you want and enjoy the savings that you often can obtain.
