ONLINE BUYING TIPS

1.Stick To Reputable Companies

This is not supposed to deter people from to the small, and medium sized online stores but it is always a good idea to stick to the reputable companies when it comes to online shopping.

If you encounter links or offers through email from addresses that you aren’t familiar with, or that offer discounts and deals that look too good to be true, play it safe and don’t click on suspicious links, and delete emails from sources you aren’t familiar with.

You should also be aware of misspellings or other sites that use a top-level domain (a .net instead of a .com).

2.Look For The Lock

At this point you are supposed to hold an ear. Are you holding your ear right now? Good. No matter what you do, never ever, ever buy anything using your credit card information from a site that does not have a SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed.

You’ll know it is has it because the URL for the website will start with the HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://) and an icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your Web browser.  He who has ears let him hear.

3.Compare Prices

Some online stores in Nigeria have exorbitant prices on their website, and this defeats the whole aim of online shopping.

Well, the good news is that when it comes to online shopping your choice of items is infinite, the selection is mind-boggling, and there is no sales attendant pressuring to make purchase an item you don’t want to buy.

It would actually hurt no one if you decide to compare the price of the item you want to buy from different stores (excluding the fraudulent websites) and buy from the store that best suits your wallet. You should also not forget check shipping and handling charges.

4.Know Your Seller

Do an Internet search under the company’s name to look for message boards along the lines of “I hate (company name).” Read a few postings to gauge the company’s customer service and reliability of the comments. If you don’t like what you see, it is a sign from the man upstairs and he is saying that you should take your business elsewhere.

Be sure the Web site lists the company’s street address and phone number. Even if the website is original and there is no company address, it makes returns difficult and is an invitation to take your business elsewhere.

5.Know the return policy

When it comes to online shopping, it is very important you know the return policy of your online store.

Every online store has its loopholes, and it’s important that you understand what they are before giving them your money. Don’t even consider a store whose return policy makes it almost impossible to return the goods. It means they don’t trust what they’re selling, and neither should you.

Check the guarantee because it may be 30 days from when you place the order – not when you receive the merchandise – and you don’t want to be caught short. Make sure there’s no “restocking fee” or other charge for returning an item.

6.Keep all records

Big store or no big store, safe website or no safe website, when your order arrives, save all warranty information.

Print out and keep a record of all your transactions. You’ll need it if disputes arise in the future. This is Nigeria and you cannot be too sure.

7.Check your wallet

Just to be sure, you should review your credit card or account statement regularly to make sure that no unauthorized charges.

If you find a fraudulent charge, immediately use your "kong-fu" skills to get your phone and address the issue quickly, preferably by calling your bank and closing the account.

8.Be security conscious

It would also be a good idea to install extra security against online fraud. You need to protect your PC against Trojan horse malware with regular updates to your anti-virus program.

Just in case you forgot, it is also important that you use difficult-to-guess passwords whenever you are online, and it is even more important when banking and shopping.

Do we really have to tell you it’s a bad idea to use a public computer to make purchases? If you do, remember to logout.

9.Too good to be true

The day you decide to spend N20,000 on a brand new Blackberry Z10, then a yahoo boy somewhere is definitely dancing gangnam style on your head. As a rule, if it is too good to be true or it sounds too good to be true then it is fraudulent.

In the world of online shopping, skepticism is a highly valuable asset. Skepticism will go a long way toward saving you from unnecessary cursing and tears.

10.Best thing we ever had

Pay on delivery is the best thing to have happened to online shopping in Nigeria. It saves you of almost all the trouble of online shopping.

It is pretty simple, if the goods do not come on time, you do not pay. If the goods happen to be damaged, you do not pay. Even if you change your mind along the way, you do not pay.