Online shopping can be rewarding
With the entry of international behemoth amazon and desi counterparts like snapdeal and flipkart ecommerce sales has recently exploded. Everything from your groceries to the latest electronic gadgets is now available at your fingertips. With billion dollar investments from FII’s these companies have been giving aggressive discounts to woo customers from traditional brick and motor stores. From a mind numbing plethora of choices to aggressive discounts and same day delivery the shopping had never been so good for Indian customers. So it’s important to learn that how youtake advantage of this new generation shopping phenomenon.
Compare the price
The general perception is that prices online are cheaper compared to local stores. While this is generally true to some extent but not always. The percentage of discount quoted by the ecommerce websites especially for electronic items like mobiles and laptopscan be confusing. Discounts are normally quoted against the maximum retail price when product was launched and not at the current market price. It is always advisable to compare price on multiple websites and offline if possible before making a high value purchase. It has also been observed in some cases that prices of particular items have been increased before the announcement of a sale.
Pay as you like
Though usually multiple online payment options like Debt Card, Credit Card and Net bankingare available for online shopping yet you can choose cash on delivery in case you are not comfortable with online financial transactions. Remember that cash on delivery may not be available on some products or in some specific areas. In today’s world where multiple instances of identity theft are reported every month you should be very careful while you make online payment. A little extra care can minimize the threat to thegreat extent. Always ensure that you have the original operating system and latest version of anti-virus installed on your computer or smartphone you use for online shopping. Ensure that the website is using a secured connection when asking for your payment details. Check the address bar to confirm that the address starts with https:// rather than http://. Make sure that the website you are using is PCI DSS compliant. It’s a security standard mandated by all Credit card issuers like Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
Shipping cost matters
Shipping charges can quickly wipe of any saving made by shopping online so it’s important to check out the sites shipping policy. Most sites will ship for free if you make purchase above a certain amount. In addition to that some websites have started offering guaranteed same day or next day deliveries at a little extra cost. A recent trend in online shopping is to offer a paid subscription service that offers free, discounted and priority shipping. Flipkart is the first to offer such a service called ‘Flipkart First’. although amazon has a similar service called ‘Amazon Prime’ which is yet to be introduced in India.
Check the return policy
Checking the company’s return policy is equally important likecomparing priceand discount. Some companies accept returns with no questions asked while others only accept if the product is faulty. It is also important to know that some companies offer you reverse pickup for the return while in some cases buyers needs to ship the item at their own cost. Since the products are being purchased without being physically inspected make sure that company offers easy return policy should the need ever arises.
Buy only if it’s must
With plethora of options to choose from, eye popping discounts and marketing blitzes it can be quite tempting to lose sight of one’s financial goals and indulge in the pleasure of instant gratification that is online shopping. There have been instances where individuals have severely impacted their financial well-being by purchasing things they did not need or could pay for. Smart phones combined with modern ecommerce have given immense power in the hands of the consumer to fulfill ones desires at the click of a button but we should remember that great responsibilities come along with power.
E-commerce has forever changed the way we shop for goods and services but impulsive shopping can make the hole in your pocket. A little extra care can help youenjoying the joys and benefits of shopping online.
