Want to order something from Food Panda because of your “tongue cravings” or you turn to Daraz for ordering everything under the sun! It’s not about whether you are a shopaholic or not; Covid has made online shopping a new normal and you would have to get your hands on it even if you like it or not. Let’s discuss factors to consider in online shopping.
However, necessity is not the only case-the ease and convenience people get. When they shop online is the main reason they open laptops and cell phones instead of visiting local markets. A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed that online shoppers in an LDC like Kenya even doubled during the year 2017 as compared to the three previous years.
While the internet abounds with success stories of shopping online, the increasing number of scams has aroused a sense of skepticism among people about purchasing goods from online stores. To avoid falling into the trap of scams that come with online shopping, here are a few factors to consider in online shopping.
1- Look for reviews of Past buyers
When shopping for a product online from a retailer, the best source of credibility is to look at the reviews of past buyers. People are mostly very disgruntled when they don’t get what they expect and are happy when the product hits the level of their expectations ( some stores ask to share good reviews in exchange for a small reward, but only if customers actually like it). These reviews would give you an idea of the quality of products and services offered by the seller.
2- First read the product description carefully
Sellers are not always to blame! One big mistake buyers make when shopping online is not going through the product description carefully. Most people make their purchases based on the showy image ad displayed. Reading and understanding the details of the product before putting it in a cart will save you from disappointments and would give enough time to you to understand if this product satisfies your demand.
3- Compare the prices of different sellers before you transact
Price is always essential or maybe the only determining factor when it comes to purchasing almost anything. When making an online purchase, you want to buy a quality product at the most competitive price and you have all the options literally on one page, so why not cash in this opportunity? Maybe there is a new seller there who is offering you his product /service at a very low price! It is very prudent to compare prices between several vendors to get an idea of the best price.
4- Check Seller Rating
This is also a smart hack. Many online platforms like Daraz, Amazon, Alibaba, etc have a set algorithm for calculating seller’s rating like on Daraz you get a percentage rating number while Amazon gives a star rating. Past buyer Reviews and Seller ratings perfectly represent each other. If reviews are not good, the rating would also be not enough and vice versa. So, if there is not enough seller data, you could at least read reviews. Not having both of them? Better look somewhere else.
5- Read Return and Cancellation Policies Carefully
Before you consider shopping online, it’s crucial to check the return and cancellation policy. This will give you an idea about how much a seller is compliant towards his customers and how honest he is. If the wrong product is delivered or you didn’t get what you ordered exactly. Almost every online business on the well-recognized platforms declares their return policies and the whole procedure outlay for refund. Being able to return a product will make you confident in that seller. You would shop again from him, and if you get two to three such positive experiences. You would become a confident online buyer.
Wrapping things up
All being said, there is no hard and fast ” investigation/probation process” for being an online buyer. You just need to be an open-eyed person. Just as you need to be while getting any deal done in your real life. All of the steps we discussed above. It could be extended towards finalizing anything in any walk of life.
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