Online shopping is the new trend. This is because it is the easiest way of getting your goods and services without going through the stress that comes with physical shopping.
Technology has made things easy: you get to see what you want online, negotiate with the seller, place your order and get it at your doorstep or at the nearest park.
Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram have been a tool for business owners to market their goods conveniently.
Online shopping sites like Jumia, Konga, Ebay, Alibaba Express, Amazon and lots more are online shopping stores that have existed for a while and are tested and trusted.
However, shopping online can be risky sometimes. Online shopping scams have become more rampant.
A lot of people now use social media platforms to set up fake online stores where people get swindled of their hard-earned cash.
It takes extra caution not to be scammed or defrauded of your cash while ordering goods online.
Being scammed online can come in two ways:
- Getting something totally different or of inferior quality to what you ordered
- Being swindled of your cash without the goods been delivered
There are various things to sensitively look out for while shopping online. This guide will show you things to look out for while shopping online.
1. Beware of fantastic discounts or low-priced products
One of the ways to detect an online shopping scam is when you notice the prices of the goods are ridiculously low or too good to be true.
Online scammers use this to draw people’s attention to swindle them. Imagine getting a shoe worth N40,000 for N15,000 online. This might look like a juicy deal to you, but be sure that you are about to be swindled.
2. Beware of unregistered businesses on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp
While shopping for online goods, be sure that those businesses are registered. Most online vendors add their business registration number to their profile. You should as well not depend on that but investigate further before going ahead to order goods from them.
3. Search for reviews and feedback before purchasing
Check out the reviews before ordering goods online. Reviews are the best way to figure out how safe it is to purchase on that site. If there are no reviews, you need to back out. If there are reviews but it looks suspicious or shady to you, this is a red flag for you as well.
4. Be cautious if it is a new business page
Some businesses are so new that finding details about them can be very hard. This is also a red flag for you because the business can close up after your payment and there wouldn’t be any way to trace them.
5. Check out the details of the business
If the business has only a website, this could be a sign for you to refrain from shopping. Check if the business has a functional phone number, email, or any other means by which they can be reached.
You can also Google search the brand’s name to be sure you are not about to be swindled.
I hope you found this guide helpful.
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