by Carmel Brulez

Created on: October 18, 2009

Online shopping is a wonderful way to shop and far better than traipsing around the shops for hours hoping to spot something you might wish to buy.

So, why is online shopping better?

Firstly, it gives you a huge choice. You are no longer limited to just local shops or a few items. I buy a lot of items from China and Hong Kong where there is a huge choice but also good quality and a very cheap price. These items usually reach me within a week of ordering so I get them far quicker than I would if I had to find time to go to the shops for them instead. Many of these items are things which are not available locally or even in the UK, so I would have to go without them otherwise. By shopping online using sites such as Ebay or Amazon I can also get hold of rare second hand items which it is impossible to get otherwise, such as a first edition copy of a book.

Secondly, by shopping online you get the full and correct specifications. If you are looking to buy a new DVD player you know the functions and features listed on the site are correct. If you go into the shop and ask a salesman about it he might make things up and leave things out, whether he does this deliberately or not does not matter, it means you do not get the true facts. We can also look up reviews written by previous customers who are not biased and have no need to lie. By reading their reviews we get a good idea if it is wise to buy a certain brand or model of DVD player. When you go into a shop the salesman may well tell us it is a wonderful DVD, but cannot back this up with any facts, and he is just trying to shift it and make some commission.

Thirdly, when you buy on line you get a good price.

Fourhtly, there is no nonsense about the shop having sold out or being out of stock. The worst that can happen is that you get an email informing you they no longer stock that item. At least you did not travel all the way there and back to find it out. If it is out of stock it probably means you just wait a few days longer and they ship it to you then instead. Hardly the end of the World.

Fifthly you get secure online payment where you pay by credit or debit card or an online payment system such as paypal. These are safe and guaranteed. You receive a receipt which is there in black and white.

Many people now do their grocery shopping online, buying clothes online is quite common too. Even those who have a car and plenty of time often prefer to buy online and use their time for things they find more interesting.

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