5 things you should consider before shopping online
5 things you should consider before shopping online
Online shopping has become the most preferred form of shopping these days not only because you can buy a product from any part of the world at the click of a button, but also, it is less stressful, more convenient and most times, more affordable that the traditional open market where you would board several buses to get to, trek from shop to shop to look for what you want to buy and sometimes you get confused when you don't get what you are looking for only to be forced by sellers to buy what you did not bargain for.
According to Paypal, Nigeria ranks third in online shopping worldwide. The General Manager of Paypal Africa and Isreal, Efi Dahan, said Nigerian shoppers have realized that the world is their shopping mall and as such shop wherever and whenever using their mobile devices.
As exciting as this may seem, online shopping has its own issues like security; where fake merchants defraud online customers, most times the products displayed on the website to do not fit to description or they may end up being defective and there may be no opportunity to return the goods because the return policies for most online shops in Nigeria is 7 (Seven) days unlike in the United States of America where it is 30days and in the UK where it is 14 days. In addition, most online shops do not offer a refund except in exceptional circumstances, what they provide is an exchange policy.
Recently, i purchased an office dress from a popular online store, the dress seemed to be very attractive on the website. When i received it , i discovered that the quality was very inferior that i could not even wear it at home not to talk of the office, so i had to return it and ask for a refund. At first they were not willing to make a refund to me but when i insisted through a strongly worded refund letter, they had to no choice but to make a refund to me.
So the next time you want to buy any product online, you should do these five these things before you proceed to make payments.
1. Make sure it is a credible site: It is preferable to buy products from popular online stores. Buying from a less popular brand maybe very risky. Even if you are to buy from new store, ensure that you do a lot of research about the merchant. Check the reviews, ratings and feed backs on the site as well as other social media. Personally, i prefer to get feedback from friends who have previously purchased from the online store and are satisfied with their product before i buy anything from them. Look for the contact details of the seller such as the physical contact address, email address and phone number before proceeding to payment. Ensure that the site is secure before filling in your payment details. Always look for a padlock symbol and a web site address beginning with https instead of http. The "s" stands for "secure".
Insist on buying from a company rather than an individual. This boosts their credibility and customer's confidence in the online store.
2. Speak or chat with a customer care representative : Once you are sure of credibility of the online store, take a further step to ensure the availability and quality of the product. Confirm the delivery date of the item and the fact that the product has no defect. This will give you a satisfactory quality assurance so that if it turns out that the goods you purchased are of low quality you have a genuine basis to bring an action in court on the grounds of misrepresentation and your rights would be enforced.
3. Check the Returns and Refund Policies: You must ascertain the returns and refund policies of the merchant before proceeding to buy. There are some online stores that do not allow returns of goods. This is why you must do your research very well prior to making purchases. An online store that does not accept returns of products give rooms for suspicion as well as violates consumer laws as well as the Sales of goods act. In addition, some online shops do not provide for refund for a defective product. They rather give you the option of exchange than refund your money. This i believe limits the customer's freedom to choose and it leaves a room for doubt. So the next time you are buying a product online, check for returns and refund policies.
4. Examine the product properly: As soon as the product is delivered to your doorstep, make sure you physically examine the product to check that it is not defective. If it is a dress for example, check that it is your perfect fit, that it fits to the description on the website and that it is of good quality. Where the product is an electronic, ensure that you test the appliance till you are sure that it is in good condition, look for the warranties and guarantees before the return date elapses otherwise, you would have not opportunity to return the good if it turns out to be defective and you would end up spending more than you bargained for.
5. Insist on secure payment options: When shopping online, you could decide to pay through the e-payments systems or you pay cash on delivery (depending on the payment options available on the e-commerce site) Whatever you do, trust your guts and insist on secure payment options that you are familiar with, for example; interswitch,Flutterwaves, Paypal and a host of others. Never save your credit card details online as it could be used by cyber fraudsters who may hack into your bank account and steal whatever money is available in it. If you are uncomfortable with the online payment methods, you could shop with online stores that have cash on delivery method. It is a safer and a more convenient way to shop. Moreover, it is still being used in Nigeria and it is widely preferred by customers.
The keyword is be "Safe" while shopping.
Have you had any unsatisfactory experience while shopping online? Please feel free to comment below. You can also feel free to like and share if you find this article useful.
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| Photo Credit: dreamstime.com |
According to Paypal, Nigeria ranks third in online shopping worldwide. The General Manager of Paypal Africa and Isreal, Efi Dahan, said Nigerian shoppers have realized that the world is their shopping mall and as such shop wherever and whenever using their mobile devices.
As exciting as this may seem, online shopping has its own issues like security; where fake merchants defraud online customers, most times the products displayed on the website to do not fit to description or they may end up being defective and there may be no opportunity to return the goods because the return policies for most online shops in Nigeria is 7 (Seven) days unlike in the United States of America where it is 30days and in the UK where it is 14 days. In addition, most online shops do not offer a refund except in exceptional circumstances, what they provide is an exchange policy.
Recently, i purchased an office dress from a popular online store, the dress seemed to be very attractive on the website. When i received it , i discovered that the quality was very inferior that i could not even wear it at home not to talk of the office, so i had to return it and ask for a refund. At first they were not willing to make a refund to me but when i insisted through a strongly worded refund letter, they had to no choice but to make a refund to me.
So the next time you want to buy any product online, you should do these five these things before you proceed to make payments.
1. Make sure it is a credible site: It is preferable to buy products from popular online stores. Buying from a less popular brand maybe very risky. Even if you are to buy from new store, ensure that you do a lot of research about the merchant. Check the reviews, ratings and feed backs on the site as well as other social media. Personally, i prefer to get feedback from friends who have previously purchased from the online store and are satisfied with their product before i buy anything from them. Look for the contact details of the seller such as the physical contact address, email address and phone number before proceeding to payment. Ensure that the site is secure before filling in your payment details. Always look for a padlock symbol and a web site address beginning with https instead of http. The "s" stands for "secure".
Insist on buying from a company rather than an individual. This boosts their credibility and customer's confidence in the online store.
2. Speak or chat with a customer care representative : Once you are sure of credibility of the online store, take a further step to ensure the availability and quality of the product. Confirm the delivery date of the item and the fact that the product has no defect. This will give you a satisfactory quality assurance so that if it turns out that the goods you purchased are of low quality you have a genuine basis to bring an action in court on the grounds of misrepresentation and your rights would be enforced.
3. Check the Returns and Refund Policies: You must ascertain the returns and refund policies of the merchant before proceeding to buy. There are some online stores that do not allow returns of goods. This is why you must do your research very well prior to making purchases. An online store that does not accept returns of products give rooms for suspicion as well as violates consumer laws as well as the Sales of goods act. In addition, some online shops do not provide for refund for a defective product. They rather give you the option of exchange than refund your money. This i believe limits the customer's freedom to choose and it leaves a room for doubt. So the next time you are buying a product online, check for returns and refund policies.
4. Examine the product properly: As soon as the product is delivered to your doorstep, make sure you physically examine the product to check that it is not defective. If it is a dress for example, check that it is your perfect fit, that it fits to the description on the website and that it is of good quality. Where the product is an electronic, ensure that you test the appliance till you are sure that it is in good condition, look for the warranties and guarantees before the return date elapses otherwise, you would have not opportunity to return the good if it turns out to be defective and you would end up spending more than you bargained for.
5. Insist on secure payment options: When shopping online, you could decide to pay through the e-payments systems or you pay cash on delivery (depending on the payment options available on the e-commerce site) Whatever you do, trust your guts and insist on secure payment options that you are familiar with, for example; interswitch,Flutterwaves, Paypal and a host of others. Never save your credit card details online as it could be used by cyber fraudsters who may hack into your bank account and steal whatever money is available in it. If you are uncomfortable with the online payment methods, you could shop with online stores that have cash on delivery method. It is a safer and a more convenient way to shop. Moreover, it is still being used in Nigeria and it is widely preferred by customers.
The keyword is be "Safe" while shopping.
Have you had any unsatisfactory experience while shopping online? Please feel free to comment below. You can also feel free to like and share if you find this article useful.
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