Love it or Hate it Online Shopping is Here

by Anita Unsworth

Love it or hate it Internet shopping is quickly becoming the Web-Mart of convenience and savings and is a big time-saver. Internet shopping is expanding at an extremely fast rate, effectively shrugging off the gloom being witnessed on the high street.

Internet or online shopping is one of the convenient methods now used by people, with hundreds, maybe even thousands, of options at their fingertips and where comparison shopping is at its finest.

Online shopping is both fun and easy, when you don't have time for shopping around the high street shops. It has become the new shopping experience of the future and is easier, safer, and more convenient than at any point in its history.

Internet shopping has fast become one of the easiest ways to buy almost anything you want. It allows shopping for required products without going to the store physically and is a great way to buy for all those who know exactly what they want or where prices and standards are fairly obvious. However, some people would not want to substitute the visual stimulation of a visit to shops or a one to one chat about specific purchases. The beauty is that we now have the choice.

Security
So, is buying on the internet safe? Well relatively, yes. Internet shopping is now at least as safe as shopping in a store or by phone, but the Internet is an open field and like anywhere else you need to be aware there are some bad elements around. Reputable companies online know that one of the main things preventing customers from placing orders with them is concern that their credit card details will be safe therefore responsible companies have taken this concern onboard and have set up their systems to provide the customer with maximum security.

You should see a picture of a lock on the bottom right hand side of your screen when placing your order; this ensures that your name, address and credit card information is being sent to the online store through encrypted code and that a hacker will not be able to steal your credit card information. Internet Explorer can warn you if the site you are about to send payment details to, is secure or insecure

Wherever you see the ISIS logo, you can shop online with confidence, knowing that the merchant is trading in a fair and honest way, and complies with the strict rules the IMRG places on Data Protection, VAT and website services

Site
Most companies now will respect your privacy and will tell you that your email address will not be passed on or sold to other companies.

Check that the company you are dealing with can be contacted if necessary. Reputable companies will have contact details prominently displayed on their site. Another point to check is the refund policy of the company; again most reputable companies will have a refund policy which can range from 30 days to in some cases 60 days depending on the product.
Most companies will send you some sort of confirmation when you place your order - this may be an email or receipt or you may be directed to a "thank you for your order" page of their website containing details of your order and telling you that the order went through and will be on its way. You need to make sure that you have some kind of confirmation or receipt. If you are in doubt ask before purchasing. Remember that genuine mistakes do happen but if you have gathered all the information you need from the company then don't panic too quickly.

You can check the history of a company quite easily if you want to see what kind of reviews a company may have. alexa.com. is one website you can visit; type in the address of the store you want to check out and this will show you how long the company has been in business. You can also go to networksolutions.com and click on "whois" on the top bar. This will take you to a page where you can enter the web address of the online store you want to check and you will receive the relevant information.

Delivery
Another thing to check is delivery details. Be aware of terms and conditions, check payment and delivery details. What is their timescale on delivery, how will it be delivered and are there any further cost for this You should be presented with all available delivery options for your order at the checkout. Remember that shipping charges can sometimes be expensive.

One of the great things about Internet shopping is the extra time it gives you to enjoy life more offline. Whether we love it or hate it, Internet shopping is convenient, provides a wide choice and competitive prices, it is very much like conventional in-home shopping from catalogs or mail orders.

So pour yourself an iced tea, slip into your bunny slippers and start clicking.

For more shopping tips go to www.wizco.co.uk/shopping/index.html

Have a happy, healthy and safe shopping experience.

© Anita Unsworth, All rights reserved.
Anita Unsworth is a UK based Internet marketer, offering help for the real beginner. She is specialising in Article writing, and is never very far from the keyboard. If you found the above article useful, find more information at: www.wizco.co.uk/shopping/index.html
For more info on help for the Real Beginner please visit: www.newbieplace.co.uk.

Submitted on Feb 3, 2009