Among the major benefits of the internet and technology is online shopping. But are we safe shopping online? You have probably heard of many cases where people have lost money after sending them to individuals online hoping that they will get certain products. Other times, yes you will be sent the product but it will either be damaged, poor quality or take centuries to reach your destination. This article will give you tips which will help you shop online safely.

Safe Websites

The first step to secure online shopping is shopping from reliable sites. How do you identify safe shopping sites? A safe site will start with https. The “S” means that the site is secure and that your personal and banking details will not be exposed to dangerous people. Another way to identify safe sites is to check the lock key on the top right or left of the site. With the lock key, your personal information will be safe.

Customer Reviews

Before making any payments online, make sure to read what previous customers are saying about the site. This is the only way to differentiate good from bad sites. If many customers are complaining about the products and delivery time, then this is not the place for you. Research more until you get a site with many positive reviews and recommendations.

Customer Service

This is another important factor to look at. Do they have a call or chat center? If yes, how fast do they reply to your messages? The same case applies with an email address. To get a clear picture about this, send them a message or call them before making payments. If they respond to your queries faster and in the right way, you can purchase with them. Be careful to check what other buyers are saying about the site regarding communication because they might be replying to lure you to sending them cash. Then after that full silence.

Cost

We associate online stores with cheap products but, you should be careful with overly cheap sites. To determine the best and fair price, check for the same product from at least five sites and get the average price. Base your price decisions on the average. Stay away from overly cheap products. You better pay the price higher and get quality goods than losing your money or getting poor quality goods in the name of saving.