Are you tired of driving to the mall and getting stressed out by long lines just to buy what you need? Online shopping has now become a mass industry, and it is safer now than ever. You can virtually find products online if you know where to look. You can also find the best deals. Read Step 1 to learn how to find what you want and buy it with peace of mind and confidence.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding the Perfect Product
Step 1. Do an internet search for the item
One of the most effective strategies for finding the sites that sell the item you want is to simply search for it using a search engine such as Google, Yahoo! or Bing. If the article is popular, you will see a lot of links to pages of virtual stores that offer it for sale. You can use this method as a starting point for comparing prices.
Step 2. Search for the item on Amazon
Beyond selling its own products, Amazon acts as a liaison between you and a huge number of outside sellers. Businesses, stores and people use Amazon as a product listing and adopt Amazon's payment system. This means that Amazon and its outside sellers have one of the largest inventories of merchandise available on the planet
Amazon allows sellers to sell used merchandise, so pay attention to the characteristics of the item you are about to buy if you need a new product
Step 3. Check online auction sites
If you can't find the item elsewhere, check online auction sites. You have to stay a little longer than just buying it from an online store, but you can potentially find good deals and rare things if you browse a little.
Online auction sites have far more rules and regulations than traditional stores, and require more commitment from you, the buyer. Make sure you familiarize yourself with all the rules and regulations before placing a bid
Step 4. Visit specific online stores
Beyond the big name stores and online auction sites, there is also a variety of online stores that target specific types of merchandise. You can find us better deals for what you need, or options not available in big stores.
- Don't forget to check the article manufacturer's site. You could save some money by buying directly from the manufacturer instead of from a retailer. Not all manufacturers, however, have an online store.
- There is a range of sites that collect prices from a large selection of online stores and provide product comparison.
Step 5. Look at bid aggregation sites
There are a lot of sites and forums to find deals on a specific product. These sites are largely designed for specific markets, such as offers on electronic products, books and more. If you are not looking for a particular item but want to stay informed about the latest offers on the products that interest you, know that these sites provide a really great service.
Step 6. Trust your instincts
If you start to feel pressured to buy or if it seems like an offer is too good to be true, follow your gut and avoid buying. There are a lot of people who sell something that will "change your life" or make you get rich quick, but always remain skeptical of them.
Always read the reviews and opinions about the seller and the item before making any purchase
Part 2 of 3: Make a Smart Purchase
Step 1. Check the shipping costs
Even if you find an unmissable offer on a product, it can be offset by the cost of shipping. If the shipping costs are exaggerated, ask yourself if it is worth paying for them instead of going to buy the same thing at the local store.
- Compare the costs of the various shipping methods. If you don't need something right away, you can save a lot of money by choosing a slower shipping method.
- Be especially cautious when it comes to shipping costs from online auction sites. These are set at the discretion of the sellers, and unscrupulous ones may raise the shipping costs to take advantage of the buyers.
Step 2. Buy more than one item to reduce shipping costs
If you make multiple purchases, try to get them from the same seller, and in one purchase. Most sellers will group items in the same shipment, and many cancel shipping charges for purchases over a certain amount.
Step 3. Avoid refurbished products if possible
Refurbished products have been repaired for resale, and are often priced close to that of the new items themselves. It is true that you can find great deals this way, but if you can avoid this type of purchase. If you are about to buy a refurbished item, check the warranty and make sure the coverage is acceptable in case a problem occurs with that product.
Step 4. Find out about your withdrawal rights
One of the most obvious differences between a purchase made in a real store and one made online is detected during the exercise of the right of withdrawal. Make sure that the retailer you are about to buy from provides understandable information on withdrawal, and that you understand all of your responsibilities.
Many retailers charge the buyer for the withdrawal fee. These can be deducted from the amount of any refund
Step 5. Look for coupon codes
Many retailers on the checkout page put a field where you can enter promotional codes. These can be shop-wide discounts or offers on specific items. Before making a purchase, search the internet for codes for that retailer and enter one that you think is relevant to your purchase.
Part 3 of 3: Staying Safe
Step 1. Check the security of the site
Every site you make a purchase on should have a lock icon next to the address when you are on the checkout page. This gives you the assurance that the information is encrypted when it is transferred to Amazon's servers, and prevents a potential thief from reading the data. If you don't see a lock, don't buy from that site.
Safe sites will be written like "http s: //www.example.com "instead of like this" https://www.example.com"
Step 2. Use a credit card instead of a debit card
You'll have a lot more security if your account gets compromised when you pay with a credit card instead of a debit card. This is because if your debit card information is stolen, thieves can access your bank account directly, while if the same thing happens with a credit card, the card company can block access.
Try to use the same credit card to make all online purchases to reduce risks and limit a possible crime
Step 3. Never make a purchase when connected to an unsecured wireless network
If you are connected to an unsecured wireless network, any data you send from your device is not encrypted until it reaches the router. This means that hackers can "spy" on your activity and the information you send and receive on the internet.
If you had to enter a password to connect to the network, it means that it is secure and that the data is encrypted. For maximum security, make purchases from a computer connected to your home network
Step 4. Change your passwords
As you shop online, you will inevitably have to create different accounts to use on the websites of the various retailers. Always make your passwords change from online shop to online shop, despite the inconvenience, because if a shop is hacked, thieves would have access to your payment information in every online shop you visit.
Step 5. File the receipts
Keep all payment receipts, so you can compare the receipts with your bank statement. This will protect you from fraud if you have a "legitimate" purchase model with which to compare a fraudulent receipt.
You can either print and archive your receipts or save them digitally
Step 6. Purchase using an uninfected operating system
Viruses on your computer can jeopardize your security and send your information to hackers and thieves. To prevent this, make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus installed on your computer and are carrying out regular system scans.
