Navigating Online Shopping Dangers

 

A Guide to Navigate the Online Shopping Dangers

Online shopping is one of the 21st century’s great revolutions.  It’s kinda like the holo-suites that we see in the StarTrekTM shows, where virtual reality is taken that one step beyond.  Through online shopping, one can buy English scones directly from England, shop for antiques on Bourbon Street, or peruse the wares of the Caribbean through a computer interface. 

However, there are online shopping dangers too, and all of us must cope with them.  Some people think the solution is to avoid online shopping altogether, but this is simply no longer possible.  Even if you make your purchase in a local store, your information will certainly end up on a computer database somewhere.

The familiar old adage says, “if you can’t beat them – join them,” and where online shopping is concerned, this is certainly true.  You CANNOT beat them; one must accept this as a reality.  Today, if you have no online presence at all – you do not exist – it is that simple.  Call anybody for information about you, and that operator will need “a second to look that up” and then turn to a computer for the information.

Online shopping dangers are very real.  This article will address some of these concerns and offer tips to help shoppers to cope with them.  Now, let’s get cracking…

Identity Theft

As online shopping dangers go, concerns about identity theft top the list as the greatest concern for those who shop online.  Identity theft is a very real concern because unscrupulous people who get sensitive information can damage an individual’s financial status and credit score.  Many people recoil at this notion, and refuse to shop online at all.  The irony here is that an online store is almost certain to be a safer place for a consumer’s digital information than a local store.  Why?

Online stores expect a certain amount of digital shenanigans, and they invest a great deal of money to ensure that their client’s information is secure.  They know that data miners will try to hack their systems.  They know that customers will want assurance that this will not happen, and they know that these customers will seek signs of data security at every point along the purchasing process.

Local stores, however, have traditionally found no need for such an investment, because customers have never demanded such.  Customers just toss the money on the counter, even apply for a digital card that the store computers can read to give them a discount – and never once think about the integrity of that data – until the store’s computers are compromised.  What with so many large popular shopping centers now being hacked, this attitude is changing, but for now, online sites built for operation on the internet might still be a safer bet to guard against identity theft.

Therefore, the first piece of advice for anybody who wants true data security (ironically) is to shop online!  Now, we cannot get out of life alive – and risks are everywhere, but if you are dealing with a reputable store – then chances are good that your data is safe.

If your identity is compromised, it is usually possible to manage the effects of identity theft, and you have some knowledgeable and powerful partners in the fight.  We refer to the bankers, who have put strict guidelines into place to monitor banking habits and to flag any anomalous behavior.  If such dangers are spotted, the bank will communicate directly with the account owner before permitting the transaction to proceed.  Credit card companies have similar petitioning process, as does PayPal, which offers a procedure to refund a purchase that works like a dream.  Most merchants will return merchandise without a word of challenge when merchandise is petitioned, because they know that the bank will usually side with the buyer than the seller.  The battle simply is not worth it.

While we are on the subject of online shopping dangers, here is one that you might not have thought of.  You might also check to see if your store is on a secure server.  This is something else you can check for online that you cannot verify in store.

To make this check you can examine the web address for any website in which you are to submit sensitive information.  Websites that start with “https://” as opposed to “http://” indicate the information is passing through a secure server.

This advice does NOT apply to the shopping catalogs.  Most of these will NOT be secure, nor do they need to be.  You are simply reading data feeds, and nothing more.  You should NEVER submit your private information to a catalog for any reason.

When it comes time to pay for your purchase, however, most any reputable online retailer will send you to a secure website to make your transaction.  If the server is not secure, then the shopper should perhaps call customer service to place the order rather than submit the information through the unsecured website.

Returns

Difficulty with product returns also ranks high with consumers as one of the more persistent of the online shopping dangers.  This danger too, is very real.  Nothing is more frustrating than getting the wrong product, and then having to battle with a hard-nosed support person who is barking at you in broken English out of Thailand.

So, what is the solution?  Take the matter out to their hands.  If you are dealing with an unknown merchant, always put a payment agent between you and the seller.  PayPal is one of the most famous of these.  If your purchase draws your disapproval, PayPal makes it dead bang simple to request a refund from the seller.  You don’t have to argue with anybody.  Just let PayPal do it for you.

Amazon is another great agent to put between you and the seller.  If you work directly with a store, you (as the buyer) might be responsible for paying to return the item to the warehouse – and these shipping costs can be significant.  Buy through amazon, and if the item arrives broken, or is the wrong size, or it just is not the product you felt you were buying – just complete a simple form online – and voila – your merchandise is refunded and a pickup is scheduled to return the failed merchandise to the seller – EZ, PZ.

Misleading Product Descriptions

One final concern among the online shopping involves misleading product descriptions.  Sometimes, this is the fault of the description author, and sometimes the buyer just misread (or missed) the crucial element.  Either way, you don’t want to be stuck with merchandise that you do not want.

If you are shopping online then you will be receiving an unwanted or damaged product at some point.  Before deciding that the product is bad, your first step is to review the product with earlier customers.  A good place to do this is on the amazon site.  If they loved it, then you probably got a bad unit.

Next stop is the customer service.  If there are issues, they will have heard of them, and have likely put in place a method of working with customers complaining of the issue.

You best bet, however, is to buy through an agent as suggested earlier, so that the issue is not just between you and the seller – unless you understand the return policies of your seller very well.  Especially if you used a credit card, making a product return can be a monumental headache.  A disreputable merchant will rather test your mettle than grant an immediate refund.  They will fight, and while you may win in the end – you will have plenty of bruising to remind you of what a real fight can be like.

 Final Words

We have covered some of the more popular online shopping dangers that you might encounter in the marketplace.  We have looked at some of the dangers of local shopping too.  Dangers are everywhere.  It really is a jungle out there.  Watch your back, and always shop from behind a protective shield, so that if you need assistance, you won’t be directly at the mercy of the support of the seller.

Amazon, E-Bay, PayPal, and a host of other agents can really make a difference when problems arise with your order.  Instead of feeling victimized, suddenly, you discover that you have “powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.”  Use them wisely.

Have fun!

 

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Shopping Online : Understanding Common Problems

Managing Common Problems When Online Shopping

Despite many benefits of online shopping there are certainly problems that can occur.  Such problems as ordering wrong items, receiving wrong items and product returns are common problems, and ought not to make a potential online shopper reconsider the decision to shop online.

The secret to dealing with common problems of any kind is simple.  You simply need to factor these possibilities into the online shopping experience, right from the beginning.  Then, when these problems do occur, they will cause less stress and frustration because you will have developed a plan to deal with them.

This article will examine a few of the most common problems you can expect to meet when shopping online.  We hope that, these suggestions will save you some frustration when on your next online shopping spree.

Ordering the Wrong Product

So, your package arrives, and you eagerly tear it open to find the wrong item inside.  After some words best not repeated here, you call the company to let them have it.

Sometimes, the company really is to blame, but very often; the blame lies with the consumer.  They have failed to notice something important that will have given them a clue – and missed information is just as good as not having received it at all.

The picture in the product description might conflict, with the picture saying one thing and the details another.  The color might not be as advertised.  The product might be described for a particular purpose – but somehow the customer misunderstood the purpose.

Since it is not possible to handle the merchandise when shopping online, the best course of action is to listen closely to someone who has.  Let their disappointment serve as your warning.  Most online stores now offer customer reviews, but if still not satisfied – feel free to call and talk to someone in the department where the product is sold.  If the company rep as never held one in his or her hands, ask to talk to someone who has.

This homework should get you to the proper product, but you can still make a mistake during the ordering process.  Watch such options such as size or color and be sure that you properly associate these with the item.  If the picture conflicts with the description of the product, resolve the conflict before ordering.

Receiving the Wrong Product

Even though online shoppers might make no mistakes during the ordering process still, it is possible to receive the wrong product.  Nothing angers a buyer more than finding the wrong product in the box.

They are disappointed that after such a long wait, they must now be bothered with a difficult company bureaucracy, stubborn store policy that resents losing a sale, and foreign support agents who understand little of what you are saying, and you understand them even less.

Unfortunately, the consumer will probably not know that a mistake is made until the order arrives at their door.  The bad news is that there is little that you can do to get ahead of this problem.  Reviews will help you to understand what you are ordering – but once you have correctly placed the order – the matter is in the hands of fate.

The good news is that the online retailer will usually act fast to appease the buyer in this situation.  They will immediately send you the correct item, and will be content to rely on you - the buyer - to take responsibility for returning the incorrect item.  The retailer will usually even send you a shipping label so that you will not face shipping costs.

That is small compensation in the first few minutes after opening the box, but fifteen minutes later, after you have placed a very angry phone call, you will be very relieved to find that the retailer is 100% on your side.

Returning a Product

Product Returns conjure up long lines of irate buyers shifting from one foot to the other and waiting impatiently for a chance to do battle with an exhausted and stubborn store returns clerk.  By the time you reach the counter, you are usually ready for war.

Online Shopping returns can actually be easier to get through than shopping in a local department store.  Usually, there are no explanations, no battles, and usually no problems.  While returning items in local stores might be getting tougher, an online retailer is usually more flexible in this regard.

Think of this when you plan your next purchase.  Is this item going to be easier to return online, or locally?  You might check both resources to give yourself the best options to get your money back should the product disappoint you.  Sometimes, you can even buy on-line and return locally – but this misses the point.  The point is that, you need to consider how to return a product at the time that you consider buying it.

Smart shopping means understanding what you are buying through customer reviews, finding the best price through comparison shopping, shopping quality stores to improve your chances to get quality merchandise, and understanding the stores return policies, which are usually prominently posted for the public to read.

All of this can be found in one place at the EZ Global Shopping Catalog at this link.

http://sincereproductreviews.com/ez-shop-global-products-catalog/

Smart Shop & Prosper…

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