Online Shopping 101: Tips to Shop Online Like a Pro

Online shopping has become a trend during the recent years, not only because it makes our lives easier, but also because it makes more sense to moms. It’s more convenient and spares you the time and effort of going to the mall with the kids an their strollers. Not to mention, the current pandemic situation where it’s a great alternative to leaving the safety of your house.

Although online shopping can be a blessing as you order things on the go at the comfort of your own home, it can have many setbacks and fails. This is why I am giving you some tips to keep in mind when you shop online, to make your experience better, easier, and failure-free.

• Before you confirm an order, you need to read as many reviews as you can about the product and read about the customers’ experiences. If you find more than 70% of the reviews negative or the reviews include some fatal mistakes, ditch the product.

• Check the sizes and dimensions of the product carefully. Photos might not show the exact size of a product; it might look big in a photo, but when you receive it, you’ll be surprised that it’s way smaller than what you expected. This applies to bottles, cream tubes, bags, food containers, and even clothes. For clothes and shoes, if you’re in doubt, always refer to the size chart.

Pro tip: If you’re buying shoes or clothes from a specific brand, a good tip is to go and try your size at the store first, to make sure it’s the correct size, as some of the online items are nonrefundable.

Photo credit: K-Deer

• Don’t purchase the first thing you see without second thoughts. It’s always a good idea to take a quick look at other websites, where you can find promotions or alternatives to the same product at a better rate or with better reviews.

• Some websites, such as Souq.com and Amazon, offer free shipping and discounts if your purchase value exceeds a certain number.

• Never enter your credit card information on a website unless it’s 100% trusted and well-known. This is very important as, unfortunately, there are tons of scam and fraud websites.

Photo credit: The Scotsman

• It’s very important to read the terms and conditions of the website, especially the exchange and refund policy. Online shopping can be very tricky with sizes and material, thus, make sure you can return the product if there was a problem with the size or the product itself.

• If you decided on a product from a certain website or online-seller, ask around about delivery durations and if the product is properly packed.

• A great tip is tocheck the social media page of the brand/seller, where you can find reviews, that might not be reflected on their website.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

• Always ask about the total price that you’ll actually be paying. You can assume that the price indicated is the actual price that you’ll be paying, but be charged additional fees such as taxes and delivery fees.

• If you’re purchasing from a Facebook group or an Instagram page, make sure you know the admin or at least someone who has dealt with them before, since many of these groups and pages are fake, where they ask for a deposit and disappear. Also, make sure to have you have the option of trying on the product before the courier leaves, and if it doesn’t fit, you can pay the delivery fees and return the product with the courier.

Are you into online shopping but you are intimidated by it? Share with us your online successes and fails.