Shopping Guide 1 - Introduction

Are you intrigued by online shopping? Feel like dipping your toe in the world of online shopping?

Well you should, as the pros far outweigh the cons. It's convenient, easy and you will probably make some savings along the way.

Within this section (See the link at the head of this page) you will find some very useful guidelines and information for shopping online, ideal whether you're new or seasoned to the internet community.

People are still quite unsure about how secure the whole process is, but we'll explain all that's involved. Despite the concerns that some people have about ordering over the Net, more and more people are taking to online shopping for convenience and saving money, leaving you more leisure time to enjoy life.

Some of The Shopping guides illustrated are by kind permission granted from various Internet magazines, these will guide you through the experience of shopping safely, securely and enjoyably online.

Shopping Guide 2 - Online Shopping - Do’s & Don’ts

DO - Always use the same common sense you would adopt when shopping online to those when shopping in the high street. On the whole you should find shopping online a more relaxing and convenient environment and make some very good savings in the process.

DO - Always make sure you are ordering from a secure site. Especially when entering your credit/debit card details. This can usually verified by the type of browser you are using. If you are using an Internet Explorer or a Netscape browser. You can distinguish when you are on a securely encrypted page of a website by the gold padlock or key which appears in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. On the ordering screen, before submitting your credit card details make sure the padlock is closed, if not avoid making a purchase.

DO - Always make sure the shop you intend to shop from has a customer services number displayed on their website, even telephone it to make sure it is a bonified number. A online shop with a customer service department who can be reached by telephone it just one indication of a reputable website.

DO - Always check the returns policy of any company you are thinking about ordering from. If it is damaged, faulty, wrong colour, doesn’t fit, or simply not the one you wanted, you’ll want the piece of mind that the company has a faultless returns procedure. Hence, check the website for these details or contact their customer services department which they should have.

DO - Always make sure you print out or take a screenshot of the order confirmation screen once you have paid for your purchase using your credit/debit card, then file this safely as you would do when buying from any high street shop. This is indisputable proof of purchase and can be emailed or copied later if your order does not arrive. At the end of the day this is just common sense.

DO - Keep a close eye and check for any hidden delivery costs that might affect your overall price/cost of your order. Some websites include quirky clauses, by enforcing a minimum shipment charge for international charges, but generally speaking a vast majority indicate these on the order confirmation page. With more websites offering free delivery nowadays, we hope this will become a thing on the past and will be included within the price of the item.

DO - Take account of VAT (Value Added Tax). Be aware that items being imported into the UK are subject to value-added tax of 17.5%. Just because you are paid this local tax from the country you are buying from, this doesn’t mean our VAT inspectors are going to turn a blind eye. Since it would be quite probable that the website you are purchasing from is from the same country as yourself these then this point could be disregard. It is still a bone of contention and debate with governments around the world of how to accurately monitor and implement this duty on goods traded between different countries for purchases made over the internet. If the company who is delivering it to you is from abroad, and with the case of standard mail, you will need to pay on delivery. Courier companies, such as Federal Express will send you a bill after they have arrived. This hidden cost can make a significant difference to international orders, so you should . Once again there has been cause for conjecture in a rapidly changing environment, but once regulated and international standards or practice are adopted these will be ironed out.

DO - Buy in bulk, it does make sense, if you wait until you want to purchase multiple items, then order them from one website at one time, you will save a fortune on shipping costs and quite probably qualify for group discounts. Get together with friends and relatives and take their orders too, anything to bring down the cost per unit and hopefully negate the cost of a courier.

DO - Always check to see if your orders are insured for their journey. If items are sent through the regular service mail then they are not insured and you will have no comeback if anything goes wrong. If paying by credit card such as Egg, Visa, Barclaycard or alike, all purchases should be covered against loss or damage, but it is worth contacting your particular credit card company to verify this.

DO - If you are required to send a fax showing the face of your credit card, (this style of internet purchasing is being phased out) or a bill to prove your home address (which is often required for setting up international accounts), always ensure you black out at least half of your account numbers with an indelible marker in case it gets into the wrong hands. And don’t just black out one side of the paper, turn it over and do the other, as some fax machines can backbite numbers as part of the transmission process.

DO - Make sure any foreign electrical items that don’t use batteries either come with the required power adapter, or you are in possession of one already. It would be hard to imagine anything worse than watching your pride and joy engulfed in acrid black smoke seconds after plugging it in.

DO - Are you having your goods delivered by courier? Then make sure you check to see if you are assigned a tracking number when you complete your order. Many courier companies, such as Federal express, DHL and even the Royal Mail offer a service whereby you can enter your tracking number on their Web site, and it will tell you exactly where your parcel is in the world.

DO - Request email confirmation from the Web site Shop that you have ordered from, or at least send them an email stating the goods that you have ordered and when you expect a dispatch. Even large Internet companies can lose orders, so make sure you are not one of them. Nowadays a good online shop will show a confirmation on screen for you to print off as well as send an email automatically to thank you and confirm your order.

DO - Thoroughly check the packaging of your order before you accept delivery. If the product has been damaged in transit, do not accept it, and have it sent back immediately.

DO - Ensure you know your credit limit and don’t overspend! We all say that, but that is one of the attractions of credit cards. We realise this but do we all implement this.

DO - If ordering gifts for someone like a friend or relative, always do it well in advance of the actual event whether a birthday or christmas, in case there are any delays. This is especially true for websites / online shops located outside of your own country. Generally online shops are very good at trying to get items to you within their prescribed delivery period. But occasionally items may be out of stock, it’s only normal. So plan in advance to avoid any potential delays. Usually a website will inform you by email if an item is out of stock, in this situation you can either choose to wait or cancel the order on that particular product and purchase from another website.

DO - Check your chosen shop website site for any gift wrapping service if buying for a special occasion. Many sites now offer this service, and in tandem will deliver the gift direct to the recipients address on the right day.

DO - Always check that your site does deliver to the UK or the country you are situated or the country you wish the item to be delivered to.

DO - Be extremely careful if buying online from a Cyber cafe or similar public place. There’s always the risk that someone will watch you type in your credit card number, or wait till you log off and then press the “back” button on the Web browser until they find your credit card details.



DON’T - Give your credit card or personal details to an insecure site.

DON’T - Fax your personal or credit card details to any company in their entirety. Always black out key areas to prevent anyone from using them fraudulently. Make sure you black out both sides of the paper!

DON’T - Never order large amounts from a site you have never used before. It’s good advise you start relatively small and test the ordering process until you are happy and confident about their service.

DON’T - Order clothes without first checking your or the intended recipients exact size and measurements and then ensuring you know the equivalent sizes in the country you are ordering from. It could prove to be a tedious process when exchanging garments.

DON’T - Do not be tempted to send your credit card or personal details using email. It may seem quicker or more convenient, but DON’T. This is extremely insecure and easy to intercept. Sometimes this happens when you change your credit card number but your online account is still using the old one. Inform the website that you would prefer to go through their secure server, even if it means opening a whole new account. The company should then update your new account with the old order history. There are quite often scams and hoax emails and spam from unscrupulous people who try to extract credit card details by email by falsely claiming to be a representative from a company.

DON’T - Use Web sites that offer little or no way to contact them if anything goes wrong. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to talk directly to the company you have a problem with. If they only offer fax communication, walk away - it isn’t worth the hassle. Check their customer service number by telephoning it and making sure it is bonified.

DON’T - Have your online goods delivered to your house if you know you are not going to be there. It just means a trip to the local depot during office hours, the cost and inconvenience of, which might render obsolete any savings you have, might have made. Especially Grocery deliveries. If you have an amiable neighbour then fair enough, but make sure to inform your neighbour not to accept any items that are damaged on delivery.

We hope this is a useful guideline to assist you with your shopping online experience, if there are any further points you feel we could have included then please feel welcome to email us at.

contact@shopperuk.com

Happy Shopping !