Why buy online?
- Buying on-line does have a number of potential advantages:
- Price: Items are usually cheaper on the web because warehouse and staff costs are lower, and because online shops want to attract and keep customers.
- Convenience: Shopping can be much easier on the web. It can be done at home, at a convenient time and be very quick.
- Wide Choice: Internet shopping allows you access to a wide range of shops all around the world, some of which do not exist on the High Street. Online shops also usually carry a much larger stock.
- Quick Delivery: Most internet sites are able to deliver within a few days.
- There are also some disadvantages buying online:
- Delivery: Many sites still use traditional carriers and do not deliver at night or at weekends. Often you end up having to go and collect from a depot.
- Costs and returns: Adding up transport and, if buying from outside the European Community, tax and duty, can often mean an item is not as cheap as it seems. Returning a purchase often means having to parcel it up and take it down to the post office.
- Cost of using the net: Although online access is getting cheaper, many internet providers still charge per minute. Browsing around a wide range of shops can take as long as a traditional shopping visit, so beware.
- Buying more: Because everything is at the click of a mouse, it is very easy to buy and spend more then you first intended to.
How to go about it
- Most High Street names now have some presence online. These shops, and other well known internet shopping sites
are a good place to start. It is best to get used to buying online from a brand you already know and trust.
- Finding your favourite shop couldn�t be easier. Simply search for it under its own name, adding www at
the start and either .com or .co.uk at the end. Most search engines and internet shopping directories should be
able to help. They will also be the place to go if you are looking for a particular item.
- Most online shops work on the �shopping basket� principle. You tour the site and click when you see something
you want. The item gets placed into a virtual shopping basket. When you want to pay for the items in the basket,
you will be asked to register. You will then be taken to a secure part of the site to give details of your credit
or debit card. You are usually able to send a cheque instead, but this can mean a wait of a week or two, because
the company will often want to clear the cheque before sending you the goods.
Before you buy
- If you do not know the shop, check that they have a phone number and ring to find out their address so you can contact them if necessary.
- Check the shop�s policy on security and privacy.
- Check the transport costs, delivery times and returns policy.
Security and privacy
- Security is far less of a problem than it appears if you make sure you only shop at sites that offer secure payment procedures (most do).
- These procedures ensure that before you send any credit or debit card details, you are moved to a secure part of the site where all the information sent over the web is scrambled and protected. You can check this has happened by making sure there is a padlock sign in the bottom bar on your screen, and the site address has changed from one starting with http to one starting with https.
- In fact, there are very few reports of card theft from well-known sites on the net. If you want to pay by debit card, check with your bank first: some will offer protection but most will not. Always print out details of your order and payment and keep them safe.
- Once consumers become used to shopping online, their concern often shifts from security to privacy. All online shops gather information about you every time you shop by making what is called a cookie. This is stored on your computer in a special file. They are the means by which a shop welcomes you by name next time you visit. You can erase them from your computer if you really object. Much more worrying are some sites� tendencies to swap or sell your details to other shops. It is a good idea to find out what a shop�s policy is before you buy.
- If you shop regularly online, it will in practice be impossible to stop your details and email address getting out and you will end up with uninvited emails called spam.
What to do when things go wrong
- When you buy something in the UK from a trader, you are protected by a wide range of consumer laws.
- If you run into problems with something you buy online, telephone their customer services and confirm your complaint by email.
- Keep a note of who you talk to. If you have to send anything back, remember to charge them the postage or ask them to come and collect it.
- If this does not resolve your complaint, take them to the small claims court.
- You may be able to get other useful advice from trading standards authorities, the advertising standards authority and the direct marketing association.
- You should be protected by similar consumer laws if you buy inside the European Community but it can be a problem enforcing your rights.
- This also applies to manufacturers� guarantees.
Useful tips before you buy online
- Pay by credit card. Only use debit cards when you are dealing with shops you know you can trust. When giving out these details, always make sure you are using a secure site.
- Do some real-world research as well as internet research to compare prices. Net prices may not always be the cheapest.
- Print out your order and keep any terms and conditions in a safe place along with the company's postal address and telephone number.
- Don�t let your common sense and shopping skills desert you when shopping online. The same principles apply. Buy at your own speed, and get recommendations about sites from friends.
- Check the company's policy on returning goods. If you have bought the item from a site abroad, you may find returning it costly.
- Look out for loyalty schemes and email alerts where shops will contact you with bargains or new deals.
- Be careful about spending too long surfing for a bargain - it can be addictive and costly.
- Avoid early evening and lunchtime congestion when America wakes up and logs on the net.
- Learn to keep any site you vaguely like in your �favourites� so you can return to it quickly.
- Be suspicious of deals that sound too good to be true.
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