‘Online shopping’ as most customers prefer to call it, is fast becoming the No.1 choice for time crunched citizens. Today, there's every reason in the world to shop online. The discounts are hard to ignore anymore. Bargains( Deals ) are getting sweeter by the day. The assortment of products are mind-boggling, for instance Junglee.com offers thousands of products. The Shipping is quick. Customer service is brilliant in most cases. The shopping is secure, well almost. And that brings us to the very purpose of this post - Safe and Secure Online Shopping.
With every good comes bad. Naturally an industry which is clocking about Rs 50,000 crores attracts phishing attacks, credit card thefts, scores of malware ( Rouge code to compromise privacy features of a website ) and many other hazards. So the big question most shoppers ask is ‘How safe is Online Shopping’?
As an e-tailer myself it is hard to accept but Yes! I agree online shopping isn’t 100% fool proof however, here are few simple tips & suggestions which implemented properly can guarantee safe and secured online shopping.
1. e-tailer’s Reputation: For one’s who are new to online shopping, it’s highly recommended to shop from reputed e-tailer’s, even for the frequent shopper it is better to stick with the well known portals. Make a list of top 5-10 online retailers and try to stick with them unless and until you’re looking for something niche. So, in simple terms do some research before you shop online. Ask your friends, read online reviews, call the helpline. simple right.
You can also follow this simple checklist to verify an e-tailer's reputation?
1.1. Check the quality of content in the website?
Often Fraudulent websites will have inferior content with grammatical and typo errors.
1.2. Check the frequency of changes of products done in the website ?
Reputed websites are mostly dynamic, they keep updating their catalog regularly.
1.3. Check the quality of product description ?
Again point mentioned #1 holds good. Also in shady websites partial or no product description in available.
1.4. See if there are genuine Customer Testimonials ?
Beware of high sounding and overtly appreciative words, most likely to be fake testimonials
1.5. Check Alexa ranking of the website and see if this is a good traffic generated website ?
Visit www.alexa.com, type the e-tailer’s website and check the rank, Lower the better.
1.6. Check for reviews on other websites ?
Sometimes you need to judge it carefully because certain review sites contain false reviews which are basically posted to malign the e-tailer however, it is good to read reviews.
1.7. Follow on Social Media?It is a good idea to follow the brand on the social media platform like Facebook, Twitter etc.
Most reputed online shops are active on Social Media. Plus this allows you to interact with other buyers.
2. Look for security certificate:
When you visit a online shop, If your browser returns a security warning that the ‘website you are visiting does not have a security certificate’, be on high alert. But you should also get familiar with who is issuing the certificate. There are several reputable certifying authorities, most notably VeriSign. These certification logo’s can be usually seen in the payment gateway page i.e, the page where you’re about to pay for your purchase, so check the logo on the website that reveals who grants the certificate and proceed further.
3. Customer Service
Once again a very important component to safe & secure online shopping. Try and see how the customer service is, if they have live chat or phone support ( Most reputed e-tailer’s have 24X7 ) then give them a call or chat and see what kind of response you get. Reputed companies have a comprehensive support system this should help you settle your nerves before you make a purchase.
4. Contact Us / About Us page
Go visit the ‘Contact Us’ or ‘About Us’ page. e-tailer’s who do not mention physical address, phone numbers, email etc of their organizations should not be trusted easily simply because, in case they fail to deliver your merchandise how or whom do you contact to recover your money? Please make sure you check the details, make a call, gain some trust and eventually place an order.
5. Check for Return Policy
Almost all top online shops have an extremely well defined ‘Return Policy’. This is applicable if you receive damaged or faulty goods. Check this policy, if this is not defined clearly then it is not a good idea to buy from that shop. Remember, a good e-tailer will ensure you get the best value for your money.
The next 5 tips will be rolled out in few days, so come back early next week for more. Meantime, try out these tips, do let me know your feedback. Happy Shopping!
.....Contd
