In the past decade, online shopping has jumped from being virtually non-existent to a multi-billion dollar industry, with more people now choosing to buy online than ever before. Undeniably, online shopping does have its advantages, most notably the fact that you can have items delivered to your door without having to leave your home, but there are some down-sides to consider too. Here are four things that you should always check before buying any product online.
1. The dimensions
As with most things in life, if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. One of the biggest problems with online shopping is that it can be difficult to get a true sense of the size of the item that you’re buying, which has led many people to be swayed by cheap prices only to end up finding that they have bought dolls-house furniture instead of the real deal. Always check the product dimensions of the item that you’re looking at and use a tape measure to help you visualise what this actually looks like when it’s in front of you.
2. Customer reviews
Whether you’re looking for clothes, gifts, homeware or hotels, it pays to pay attention to customer reviews. Businesses know the value of positive reviews and so most websites now have a dedicated review section for their customers to browse. If, for whatever reason, you aren’t satisfied with the reviews available, then simply type the company, brand or product into Google, for example, ‘notonthehighstreet com reviews’ and see what comes up. Reviews can be a very useful tool if you have specific questions about an item, and they can also save you from spending money on something that turns out to be poor quality or faulty.
3. The returns policy
Although it’s never the intention to return an item, it’s always best to check the returns policy of the site before committing to a purchase, just in case. Store returns policies can vary tremendously, with some offering free returns and others refusing to take returns at all. You can usually find the returns policy linked somewhere near the product description, but if not, you should be able to find it in the footer of the website. Some things to look out for include whether you need to pay for the return, how long you have to make the return and if any items are excluded from returns.
4. Whether you can get a discount
Lastly, never make a purchase online without first checking if there’s a discount code available. Most stores run discount codes fairly frequently to encourage visitors to make a purchase and you could save a lot of money by taking the time to do some quick research. You can find discount codes on the homepage of the website (usually in the header or as a pop-up), in the brands marketing materials or advertisements, and by using applications such as Honey, which searches the internet for any active and available discounts and applies them automatically to your basket.
So there you have it – four things that you should always check before buying any product online. Do you like online-shopping and have any tips to add? Let me know in the comments.
