How to Buy Online 101

If you want good deals and are looking to save money but at the same time be secure we have come up with a few tips on how to buy online. Whether you are looking for a good deal, a promotion or you want to save money there are universal things that you need to consider for a successful shopping experience. We have put a few tips for you that you need to consider when you buy online which are common to everyone looking to do some shopping.

Shop Around

The internet is the biggest market place in history with big shopping giants like Amazon and  AliExpress all over the place but really in one place. Never have humans, in the history of shopping, had so any shops in one place that literally come to you and you not go to them. The internet makes it easy for you to shop around and see what you can find. You could try the big shops but also try the smaller shops, you never know what you could buy. Online shopping is fun and interesting but whatever you do, don’t be lazy to shop around.

Paypal vs Bank card

There is always that option to use your banking card whether it is your debit card or credit card, or you could use a third party connecting to you bank such as Paypal being an example. Personally I prefer using prepaid/prefunded debit card or credit card as it limits the risk of losing money if my card is compromised. A straight debit card is a good card but just be carefully to shop on a secure site as well as a trustworthy site, as if you are compromised you might lose your entire bank balance. Buying online needs one to think of security about your bank cards hence Paypal has made money from this as a solution as it provides a level of security when you do not need to give out your banking details to anyone.

When things go wrong

Look at the policies that the website has for product purchases where you need to return the product or when delivery fails. AliExpress is one of the best when it comes to taking care of this and they make it easy hence with their thousands of dealers each one is under pressure to remedy any situation which goes wrong. Buy online but buy in an intelligent way such that you do not regret it. If you face an automated renewal that you were not expecting or had cancelled, what does the organisation do for you to remedy the situation.

Renewals

This could have been part of the section “When Things Go Wrong” however because it is so prevalent I thought it deserves its own place. Some of the sites have automatic renewal for things like product subscriptions such that you never see it coming, all you see is a charge having gone through and you wonder what happened. So before you buy anything, make sure that you check their policies on renewals or else you are going to have a headache convincing them that you had not asked for a renewal. Also ask yourself, do they have a contact page for you to use when things go wrong?

Choose the right third party

I mentioned earlier paypal, however there are many alternatives to Paypal such as Skrill, 2Checkout, Payza, Payoneer,WePay,Propay, and much more. The trick is check their charges and how they protect you when you are purchasing. Do not just go for any service, some might take more than you would be comfortable with. As much as they offer security when buying it is worth your time to check how your bank cards are secured and also what kind of charges you get per month.

Coupons

Some sites offer coupons such that you are able to get a discount. It is not only economical but it is also exciting to buy knowing that you have knocked off some savings from your budget. Buy online but buy with intelligence. Coupons are everywhere and for the big shops they are part of the deal. Use them whenever you can and you might just save yourself a bundle of money on your shopping trip.

The Hidden and obvious Charges

When buying cars for example and you are shopping from somewhere far they are things to watch out for that you need to know such as shipping charges, duty, VAT, handling fee and other common things like insurance. You might be buying the same item from the same country but the charges might be different. Check the insurance charges and what is being offered and compare. Courier services will differ on AliExpress with some being more expensive than the others. Buy online but check your charges and compare. You will also save yourself more money in that regard as you shop intelligently.

Use your Computer or Phone and Don’t Save Password

Don’t use someone else’s laptop or someone else’s gadget even if you know them. Browsers can keep credit numbers, and as much as your friend is not the one who abuses that it might be the weakness in the person’s gadget that is exploited by someone else. Be secure as much as possible and buy online using your gadgets if you are sure that they are safe. Don’t save your password or credit card number on the browser . This might haunt you in the near future as these can be used without you knowing and you lose lots of money.

Check your Balance

After all is said and done, after you have made your purchase, you must always check your bank balance or Paypal balance or whichever source of funds that you are using. This is so that you know that you have made a purchase and only the right amount that you were prepared to be spent has been spent.