Shopping Tips and Guides

Shopping for Clothing Online

Shopping for clothing online is often difficult. This is because consumers are used to being able to try on items in traditional stores before making a purchase. The ability to try clothing items on before making a purchase is so important because it allows the consumer to evaluate the size, fit, material and color of the garment before making a decision about whether or not to make the purchase.

Although some consumers may be able to make decisions about purchasing clothing items easily without trying the item on, the majority of consumers will not be able to make these decisions easily based solely on an image and a product description.

While shopping for clothing online is not always easy the upside to this type of purchase is making returns on clothing is usually a fairly simple process. Clothing is light and relatively easy to ship so as a result there is usually not a substantial cost in returning clothing items. This ease of shipping often makes consumers more likely to make clothing purchases online even though they are not sure how well the item will fit.

Shopping for Decorative Items Online

Shopping for furniture and decorative items online is another area in which consumers may wish to avoid online shopping. They may browse online retailers to get ideas about the types of products they want and the costs of these items but it many cases it is wise to make these purchases in a traditional store as opposed to an online retailer.

Consider purchasing bulky pieces of furniture such as couches, beds or tables. These items can be rather expensive to ship and the cost of having these items shipped can significantly add to the overall cost of the item.

Although the consumer may pay a delivery charge when purchasing furniture from a traditional store, this fee is usually considerably lower than the cost of having the item shipped. Also, consumers have the option of avoiding delivery fees if they are capable of transporting the item themselves.

Shopping for furniture and decorative items online can also be difficult because the consumer may want to see these items in person before making a decision. This is important because seeing the item in person enables the consumer to see the color, feel the texture and make any necessary measurements which will help to ensure the item is a good fit for the home.

Shopping for Used Items Online

Shopping for used items online can also be difficult. This is because the consumer may want to evaluate the item carefully for wear and functionality before making a purchase. Although the seller may provide photos and a description of the item for sale, these images and words may not fully describe the product for sale.

Although this may be completely unintentional on behalf of the seller there are also situations in which the seller will attempt to misrepresent the item deliberately to deceive potential buyers. Online shoppers may find a variety of great used items for sale at excellent prices but care should always be taken with these purchases to ensure the item is described accurately.

Consumers who purchase used items online are advised to ask questions and ask for additional photos of the item if necessary.

Dealing with Slow Internet Connections

Nothing can be more frustrating to an online shopper than a slow Internet connection or a website loads very slowly. This can be problematic because it can result in it taking a great deal of time for the shopper to find the items they are seeking and make their purchase. These problems may be a result of the Internet connection the seller has, the size of the page he is trying to load or the quality of the server on which the online retailer’s website is hosted.

Regardless of the cause of the problem it can be extremely frustrating and can greatly complicate the process of making a purchase online. A website which loads slowly can result in a great deal of lost time which can impact the shopper’s satisfaction with the online shopping experience. It can also diminish the appeal of online shopping by making the process much less convenient.

Making a Mistake with the Order

Another problem which may result during the process of online shopping is making a mistake while placing the order. Although this problem can occur during any type of shopping, it can often be quite difficult to correct while online shopping. During the process of online shopping, shoppers may place an order and receive an email confirmation of the order almost instantly.

Upon checking the status of the order the shopper may discover a mistake but may also quickly find out correcting this mistake is not easy. This is because many online retailers automate their shopping process which makes it difficult to manually correct mistakes.

For example a shopper who realizes he used the wrong shipping address may find out the order has already entered the shipping process and can no longer be corrected within minutes after the order is placed. The order may not technically ship for a day or two but once the order is transferred to the shipper, the retailer may no longer be able to make changes to the order for the consumer.

Therefore consumers should always carefully review the order before they submit the order to avoid mistakes which could be difficult to correct.

Reading the Fine Print

Finally, online shoppers should always carefully read the fine print before they make a purchase. This includes information such as the product description, payment options, cost of the product, taxes, shipping options and the return policy. All of this information is important because failure to understand this information could result in problems such as purchasing the wrong product or paying more for a product than expected.

There may also be problems if the consumer needs to return the product and did not understand the return policy before making the purchase. This could result in the shopper either not being able to return the item or being responsible for the shipping costs.

Shopping on Craigslist

Craigslist is one of the very popular websites for online shoppers who are seeking used items. This is a website which is divided by city and allows users to post descriptions and photos of items they are offering for sale. Visitors to Craigslist can either search for items available for sale in their own city or they can opt to search for items available in other cities as well.

However, many online shoppers opt to search for items in their own city simply because they can avoid shipping charges this way. Many users selling an item on Craigslist will either meet the buyer at a public location to exchange the item for the previously agreed upon fee or will enable the buyer to come to their home to pick up the item.

However, users who opt to purchase an item from another city will likely be responsible for paying any shipping and insurance charges associated with having the item shipped. Online shoppers are advised to exercise caution when picking up an item purchased on Craigslist.

Although the majority of users are honest, there may be the potential for harmful individuals who also use the site. Agreeing to meet the buyer in a public location and bringing along a friend are both recommended.

Shopping on eBay

The shopping experience available on eBay is somewhat difference than the experience of shopping for used items available on other websites. The major difference is eBay is an auction website. This means the consumers must bid against other website users for items they wish to purchase.

There are some items posted on eBay which are available for immediate purchase but the majority of postings utilize the auction process. Through the auction process registered users can search through the available listings to find items on which they would like to bid. Once these items are found, the users enter a maximum amount they are willing to pay for the item and bids are placed automatically for the user until the maximum is reached.

Once the maximum bid is reached the user may opt to raise the bid if another user outbids him. Items up for auction have a set ending time and the highest bid at the conclusion of the bidding period wins the item. After this the user must pay for the item and the seller ships the item to the user.

Evaluating Used Items Online

Shoppers at garage sales and thrift stores are able to carefully examine used items before making a purchase. This can give the shopper a good indication of the condition of the item. However, when shopping online for used items, the shopper does not have the ability to carefully examine the item.

Therefore the buyer must rely on pictures and descriptions provided by the seller to evaluate the quality, condition and authenticity of the item. If the photos and descriptions provided are not adequate for this purpose the shopper should ask for additional photos or information as necessary.

The Convenience of Online Shopping

One of the most obvious benefits of online shopping which cannot be overlooked is convenience. One of the most enjoyable conveniences of online shopping which is enjoyed by many is the ability to shop for products or services at a time which is convenient for the consumer.

Online retailers accept orders twenty four hours a day while consumers who wish to shop at traditional stores have to be available to visit the store during normal business hours. This can be a major inconvenience especially for shoppers who work long hours or shoppers who work odd hours. Online shopping eliminates this concern because shoppers can simply access online stores from their computer whenever they have free time available.

Another convenience of online shopping is the ability to order products from around the world. Shoppers are no longer limited to products offered by local retailers because the vast majority of online retailers offer shipping to many different locations. This can make it easy for online shoppers to acquire hard to find items or items which are a regional specialty of a particular area.

Comparison Shopping when Online Shopping

Another great benefit of online shopping is the ability to comparison shop easily. Instead of running around to several different traditional stores and trying to remember or write down details such as prices and features, the shopper can simply open two or more browsers to easily compare more than one item.

Additionally, there are several websites and online retailers which make comparison shopping even easier. These websites may even provide charts which compare features for similar products to enable the online shopper to make an accurate comparison of two or more items before making a purchase.

Another advantage to comparison shopping online is it gives the consumer the ability to compare items which may not be available in his location. This is important because some items may only be available in certain parts of the country. This can make comparing items difficult for traditional shoppers. However, online shoppers are easily able to make these comparisons and learn more about similar products which helps them to make the best possible decision.

Using Express Shipping Options when Shopping Online

One of the distinct advantages of online shopping is the shipping methods which are available. These options are especially beneficial to online shoppers who are guilty of often waiting until the last minute to purchase items as gifts or items that are necessary for other reasons. For these online shoppers express shipping is one of the most beneficial features.

Although the shopper will pay significantly more for express shipping options the shopper will have the advantage of being able to purchase an item the day before it is necessary and have the item delivered directly to the necessary party.

Other beneficial shipping options often include the inclusion of gift receipts as well as gift wrapping options. This is especially important for online shoppers who are interested in sending gifts to friends and family members. This can save the online shopper a great deal of time because they can have the gift shipped directly to the friend or family member as opposed to having the gift shipped to themselves first and then having to wrap the gift and re-ship it to the recipient.

The ability to send gift receipts are also important because it enables the recipient of the gift to return or exchange the item but does not divulge the price paid for the gift.

Finding the Best Deals Online

One of the greatest benefits of shopping online is the ability to comparison shop with ease. While comparison shopping at traditional stores may takes hours, days or even weeks for travelling from one store to another to determine which store is offering an item at the best price, online shoppers can typically accomplish the same task in a matter of mere minutes.

In some cases of online shopping, finding the best deal can be as easy as going to websites which provide listings of online retailers for a particular item and produce comparison charts providing the information about the cost of these items from each retailer. This is an extremely easy method of comparison shopping and finding the best deal. However, even when this option is not available finding the best deal on a product online is typically not difficult.

Savvy online shoppers can find often find the best deal online by simply visiting websites of several online retailers and noting the price at which they are selling the item in question. One simple way to do this is to open a new web browser window for each online retailer the shopper is comparing. This way the online shopper can simply browse through the open windows all at once and then only keep open the browser windows from online retailers offering the item at the best prices.

Once the online shopper narrows the search down to a few online retailers who are offering the item at a favourable price they can use other factors such as shipping prices and incentives offered to buyers such as future discounts to make the final decision and determine which online retailer is truly offering the best deal on the item.

Additional Tips for Saving while Online Shopping

Comparison shopping is one way online shoppers can find the best deals online but savvy shoppers can find additional ways to save money while online shopping. One way to do this is to seek out promotional codes offered by online retailers. This can often be accomplished by doing an Internet search including the name of the online retailer as well as phrases such as, “coupon,” or “promotional code.” This type of search may return a number of different websites which compile coupons and promotional codes for a variety of different online retailers.

These coupons and promotional codes may offer the online shopper savings such as a discount off the final price of an item or free shipping. However, it is important to note that not all of these codes will be valid. Online shoppers should not only verify the promotional code is still valid but should also carefully review the restrictions involved with using the promotional code to be sure the buyer is eligible to use the promotional code to obtain a discount.

Ensuring Authenticity when Shopping Online

Savvy online shoppers also realize it is necessary to verify the authenticity of an item before making a purchase online. This is important because it can help to prevent the shopper from purchasing items which are replicas of the item they are seeking. Verifying authenticity is usually not an issue when the online shopper is purchasing an item directly from an online retailer who is licensed to sell the item.

However, problems may arise when the shopper is purchasing an item through auction websites or through individual retailers. In these cases the items may be misrepresented either intentionally or unintentionally.

Regardless of whether or not the online retailer is attempting to deceive the buyers or simply makes a mistake, online shoppers should know how to determine the authenticity of an item. This ability usually comes from researching the items well and being aware of the key features of the items.

Checking Product Descriptions Carefully

The product descriptions on an online website are one of the most important components of the websites. This is because, unlike at traditional stores, consumers cannot physically examine the products before they make a purchase. Therefore, the consumer must rely on the product descriptions to make important decisions about whether or not to purchase a particular product.

This is especially important when there are similar products available for purchase because the subtle differences may not be evident in the images available online. In these cases, consumers should pay particular attention to the product descriptions to ensure a mistake is not made in the ordering process.

If the product descriptions are not descriptive enough or do not answer all of the consumer’s questions it may be worthwhile to contact a customer service representative to seek clarification about the product before making a purchase.

Understanding Payment Options

Online shoppers should also carefully investigate the payment options available before making a purchase online. This includes not only the type of payment accepted but also the total cost of the item including taxes and shipping. Without a full understanding of this information the consumer may make a costly mistake with an order.

To avoid these problems the consumer should first verify the methods of payment accepted before making a purchase. In most cases this will be limited to credit cards and debit cards when online shopping. Additionally the type of credit card accepted might be limited although most online retailers will accept all major credit cards.

Regarding the use of gift cards the consumer should also investigate the policies regarding the use of these cards at the online retailer. This is important because some online retailers may limit the number of cards which can be used as well as the value of the cards which can be applied to an online purchase.

This also applies to coupons and promotional codes as there may be restrictions regarding the use of these discounts. The restrictions regarding these discounts typically revolve around the times in which the discounts can be used as well as whether or not the discounts can be used on sale items or in combination with other promotional codes.

Understanding Return Policies

The need to make a return can be one of the most stressful situations resulting from an online shopping experience. Although making returns with items purchased online can often be very simple there are also some complications which may arise.

To avoid these complications the consumer should read the return policies carefully and make sure he understands these policies before making a purchase. Depending on these policies the process of making a return may still be complicated and potentially expensive but as long as the consumer is aware of the policy he will not be caught by surprise when the need to make a return arises.

The most difficult situation when returning a product purchased online typically includes the consumer being fully responsible for the cost of returning the item to the online retailer. Items which are relatively small may not be particularly expensive to return but oversized items and heavy items may be quite expensive to ship.