ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS FOR A SAFER CONSUMER EXPERIENCE

Online shopping business these days is very common, however, it needs a much better & safer consumer experience. It is convenient, safe mostly & if you have a good shopping experience you will always adore it the next time. Consumers mostly look for quality aspects in a shopping experience & apart from quality they also look for safety & security of data. Data protection should be the priority in online shopping due to things like hacking, identity theft & stealing personal details for wrong reasons. Therefore, the trust levels are always lacking in online shopping. Hence, unless it’s a popular website or brand where you can easily put your trust on the website or seller. The trust factor is significant due to many reasons, one of them being data protection & safe handling of critical data.

In online shopping the product is not actually in front of you, however, you can make your own assumptions & decisions looking at the customer reviews & feedback. Why a feedback holds immense values is due to the evaluation of the product performance & its value in the eyes of the consumers. The behaviours, expectations & evaluation of consumers is highly appreciated & regarded for future results.

The following are some tips for having a safe consumer experience.

1. USING FAMILIAR WEBSITES:

Using familiar websites or using a website for online shopping for the first time might not be the best idea. Consumers should shop from websites that they can trust in future. If they have a knowledge of the website or they know it well, there are very few chances that they shall be drifted to a malicious page & ripped off. Also what they need to be cautious of are spelling errors or sites using a different domain. The seller might be enticing & appealing offers but that’s exactly how they create traps and make innocent shoppers as their victims.

2. SAY NO TO PUBLIC WiFi:

Avoid using public WiFi for online shopping as public WiFi are not safe & key information can be leaked. In simple terms it is unsafe & you wouldn’t want to share your most critical details i.e. debit/credit card details & your home address.

3. MAINTENANCE OF A STRONG PASSWORD HYGIENE:

Maintenance of a strong password is just like taking care of your hygiene and protecting yourself from germs. Hackers are like germs and they are smart enough to hack your shopping account or your password. Maintenance of strength in password & regularly changing the password will definitely act as a self-defence for protection against hackers.

4. CHECKING STATEMENTS REGULARLY:

Keeping yourself updated with your shopping statements & your bank statements is an ideal scenario if you are a frequent online shopper. If you feel like there is a fraud on your account. Furthermore, there are some payments on your statement that you have not purchased. Straightaway call your bank and claim a refund. Instruct your bank that they e-mail or regards to a charge or ask them to let you know somehow regards to any unwanted charge.

5. REVIEWING THE RETAILER’S SECURITY POLICY:

Keeping a good eye on the retailer’s policy will tell you more about the authenticity of the retailer. Consumers should be aware of what happens to their data when they leave it on the website. They should satisfy themselves regards to the security aspects of the website & how secure is their data. As part of the transparency measurements on the website. Usage of data for Market research purposes does it say somewhere. Consumers should preferably find out the retailer’s privacy policy as this is important to know before shopping from that website.

6. DOWNLOAD APPS FROM TRUSTED SOURCES:

It is highly recommended to consumers that they download apps from highly trusted sources. These sources are App Store from Apple, the Google Play Store, Amazon app store etc. All these applications are trusted apps that can be used for downloading as recognised & trusted. However, for fresh apps, if consumers can make a decision through positive reviews & feedback. Furthermore, a rating system can help them make a decision of using an App.

7. PROPERLY READING THE RETURN POLICIES:

A proper & thorough reading of the return policy while you shop online is a mandatory principle. Significantly, regards to your dissatisfaction levels with a product, you would prefer a return. Reading concisely makes sure that consumers read the policy very carefully before they hit the ‘Purchase’ OR ‘Add to Cart’ Button. Precautionary measures are better off.

8. USAGE OF CREDIT CARDS INSTEAD OF DEBIT CARDS:

A credit card functions differently than a debit card. It’s better to use credit card for a safer consumer experience so that even if you face a fraud you will have ample time to get a return of your payments. In case of fraud you will have ample time to convince your bank that you have been a victim.

9. KEEPING RECEIPTS WITH YOU:

Keeping the receipts with you i.e. e-mail receipts or a notification of purchase with a dedicated product reference number is preferable. In this case you can keep the receipts until the product arrives safely at your place & you are satisfied. For some specific reason if you have issues with product satisfaction. Having receipts with you helps in lodging complaints or return fillings. Guarantees consumer satisfaction levels to higher extents.

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