2 of 20

Write now Article Tools

Hassles of Internet shopping

The hassles that exist for Internet shopping are not much different from high street hazards. People make snap decisions and make mistakes. The hassles that are known on the Internet shopping scene can fall amongst the following categories.

FRAUD

Fraud is a huge problem, and making sure that the site upon which you are making a purchase is a secure site is essential. NEVER give your credit card details online through email. One of the hazards that is becoming more and more apparent is the sending of emails to Ebay and Paypal users asking users to click a link and update their information. The website you are taken to from the link actually tells the user that your account is still active, so don't even go there. As for answering the questions asked on such sites, NEVER give information. The emails are fraudulent.

You can check whether sites have sent you an email simply by logging onto the proper site, and looking at your mail or the state of your account.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

In a high street shop, you have the chance to try items that you want to buy, to handle them, to look at the quality and to see if the features of what you are looking for suit your purposes. Reading pages of blurb on a site, a buyer can be totally confused about the nature of the goods they are buying. You can overcome this hurdle by having done your homework offline, knowing the Make, Model and the technical details of an item by asking in shops beforehand, and then being sure that what you are paying for is indeed the right item.

On auction sites many items are described dishonestly, although you do have some comeback by reporting it afterwards, it is still a hassle. Get information in advance, and ask about all areas of doubt to avoid disappointment.

USER FRIENDLINESS

When buying on an online site, look for details about returns, site policy, postage and shipping costs. Many hide these details on the back page, though by reading them, you save yourself so much hassle. Many clothing sites will not take returns, and electrical goods that don't fit the description take weeks to send back and change. Knowing exactly what you want is a much better way of shopping online.

Sites confuse the buyer, sometimes by making the ordering process to complex, and one site I visited offered discounts, though unless you knew how the point system worked, you lost out. I could have saved a lot of money, though once the order button was pressed, I had no way to get that discount

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The pitfalls of online shopping?
We want to hear your view. Write now!