Recent surveys have shown that UK women are relying more and more on the Internet for their retail therapy. Online shopping offers a vast variety of fashion, gift, cosmetic, home accessory and gardening products to name just a few, and the best thing is - you do not even have to leave the warm to reach it. So say "Goodbye" to long queues, bustling crowds and problem parking and say "Hello" to competitive prices, fast delivery and a fabulicious product selection - But how do we as shoppers safe guard our purchases?
It's wise to be cautious, so before you start buying here are some questions you should be asking yourself:
- Is the site secure?
- Does the website clearly show its Terms and Conditions?
- What is the Privacy Policy?
- Where is the company based?
- What are their delivery times?
- Are there any hidden costs?
- How do you contact them should anything go wrong?
- The website is a secure shopping environment if when you enter checkout a key or lock appears in the bottom of your browser, click on this sign and you will be able to view the company Security Certificate (SSL). The address of the web site will also change from http://www... to https://www... signifying that the site is secure. Dependent on the browser you are using you may find that the address bar or text may change colour/highlight, or the padlock may look different or appear in a different place, however something should always appear to indicate you are on a secure site. If you are in doubt, contact the company it is better to be safe. If the website that you wish to shop at does not offer a secure server - you need to be very cautious about entering your credit card details. Don't hesitate to email or telephone the company and ask them a few questions to put your mind at rest!
- You will normally find the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy links located at the bottom of the website page or in the navigation panels. They should be clearly marked and easy to find.
- The wonder of the Internet is that you are able to purchase goods from all over the world; naturally shopping abroad will incur certain extra costs. Make sure you are aware of these costs and are happy to accept them before you make that purchase.
- Always check out the company delivery times, after all once you have made that purchase you will want the item straight away, and not in a months time!
- Occasionally products are shown with out VAT, or postage is not displayed etc. this can change the cost of your purchase, check out the customer 'Help' section to ensure you fully understand what the costs involved before you proceed to checkout.
- If your product arrives faulty or simply doesn't turn up at all you will want to know how to deal with the situation. Companies should by law clearly show what their returns policy is and their contact details, preferably including a telephone number. If in doubt contact them before the purchase to find out what sort of response you receive - a reputable company will be only to happy to hear from you. Remember a telephone number begining - 0800 is a Free Call number and 0845 is a local call number, most other 08 or 09 numbers are charged at a premium rate.
Online retailers must:
- Offer clear information about their products and services
- Offer written confirmation of order
- Display a clear Returns and Refund policy
- Display Company contact information
- Display clear Terms and Conditions of use.
- Safe and of satisfactory quality (faulty products are not acceptable)
- Be suitable for the purpose for which it was purchased
- Always print out your order confirmation.
- Check the delivery times and prices before deciding to purchase.
- Check what the shops after-sales and refund policy is
- Pay by credit card for additional purchase protection.
- Never leave the computer unattended whilst making a purchase.
- Always Log off properly when you have finished shopping.
- Keep a copy of the company contact details.
- And lastly and most importantly… have fun!!
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