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A Detailed Guide to Ensure That Your Online Shopping Experience Is Completely Safe!

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Whether it is a daily grocery essential or a beautiful necklace to gift to a loved one, without any doubt, online shopping has emerged as the most convenient, quick, and easy way to purchase any product that you can think of and beyond. No matter what the time is, you can get the item of your want delivered right to your front door with a simple click of your mouse. And the best part? You do not have to travel to a store, look around for a free parking lot, and stand in long lines to make your purchase. What is there to not like about online shopping?

However, one question that often comes up in the minds of shoppers is whether online shopping completely safe or not? We often hear of cybercriminals and online fraudsters stealing the personal info of shoppers from shady online websites. Certainly, this is a major issue given that in order to make an online purchase, you are putting your credit card info, bank details, personal and residential information on the internet. But you can definitely ensure a secure shopping experience if you take a few extra measures to ensure your online safety.

Steps you need to take related to the website:

  1. Often cybercriminals replicate the names of big brands or slightly misspell the name, to attract a crowd of innocent shoppers into their scam websites. So, when you are looking for a product online make sure that the website you are in is genuine. Avoid any kind of shady website whose name you have not heard of before, even though they are offering some great deals.

  2. In case you are thinking of making a purchase from a new seller, make sure to look up the reviews of the website before making any kind of purchase. Look thoroughly through the returns policy or contact info such as an email address or a phone number of the seller, in case of an order going wrong. For instance, the Missguided returns policy gives detailed info in case of any order going wrong. Also look for the feedback and review history of the seller, which tells a lot about how honest and reliable he or she is.

  3. Make sure to make your purchases only from websites that are secure. For instance, look into the URL of the website. If the address includes an http:// then you need to avoid it. Look for sites that start with an https://. Another step that you can take is to look for the symbol of a closed green padlock on the address bar of the website just by clicking or double-clicking on it. It indicates that the website has been verified to be secure.

Steps you need to ensure when it comes to making your payment:

  1. Be extra alert while filling out your payment-related details. You must make sure that you do not give any extra information than what is absolutely necessary. Many sellers ask for extra information related to your personal details such as your bank account numbers claiming it to be necessary in case you need to return something and the money needs to be re-deposited. Pandora returns policy is easy and secure. Adhere to a strict and formal payment method.

  2. Make sure that you never send over cash to the seller through the mail.

With the spread of online shopping, retail shopping has got a new definition whatsoever, from “bricks and mortar” to “click and order”. According to a survey conducted in 2013, in the US, every 1 person out of 5 on average did their Christmas shopping online. Even the ones who liked a certain product in the store looked up for the same online, just to get them at much cheaper rates. Only if a few extra steps are taken to ensure your safety, online shopping can be your best buddy. We hope that this article helped you out!