Stride Post Latest News
Related Articles
Shop Safely And Save Money Online
The internet has made it much easier to buy a wide variety of products. But with the convenience and reduced barriers to entry comes a few downsides: namely, you can’t see or touch the product before buying it, which can be risky if you’re not careful. Fortunately, there are ways to shop safely and make sure you get your money’s worth when buying online. Here are some tips for making smart purchases online:
Read the reviews.
- Read the reviews. Look for reviews from different sources, including blogs and forums. Check for fake reviews and make sure that the reviewers are actually people who have purchased or tried the product in question.
- Look at the photos and videos of products on social media sites like Instagram and YouTube to see how they really look like in real life (not photoshopped).
Check out the store’s return policy.
Return policies are also a good place to look for information. Some stores offer a full refund within 30 days, some offer one within 90 days, and others offer one year’s worth of returns. Check out the store’s policy before you buy anything so you know what to expect if (when) you need to return something.
Compare online prices with brick-and-mortar stores.
One of the best ways to save money while shopping online is to compare the price you see on your screen against what it costs in your local department store. While many items are cheaper online, this isn’t always the case—especially when it comes to large appliances and other hard-to-ship items.
When shopping for a new TV or washing machine, head down to your nearest retailer and check out what they’re selling before placing an order online. You may find that buying from a physical store saves you money in addition to providing additional benefits like free installation or delivery services that are not offered by most ecommerce sites.
Look for coupon codes & discounted gift cards
If you see a coupon code, discount or promotion on the website’s homepage or contact page, be sure to take advantage of it. You can also take advantage of 3rd-party coupon websites which offer dozens of discount codes for thousands of brands. Also keep an eye out for discounted gift cards: Amazon often has $10 off $50+ purchases, and Groupon usually has free shipping on all orders.
When using a coupon code, enter it at checkout and wait for the discount to appear before checking out. Most online retailers will also give you credit towards your purchase if you share their link via social media—this helps them bring more traffic to their store!
If you have any problems with coupons not working properly after entering them into your shopping cart during checkout process (for instance), try contacting customer service directly through email or phone number listed on site’s Contact page section within Purchase Information area section
Look for cash-back deals.
Cash-back deals are a great way to save money and still get what you need. They’re offered by many online stores, so you can use them for any purchase you make on the site.
Check out the cash-back deals for the year, and see what offers are available at stores like Amazon or Walmart. If you’re shopping at one of these retailers already, then it’s especially worth checking into this option.
Beware of counterfeit products.
Counterfeit products are often a scam. Counterfeiters have been known to use substandard materials and components, and they don’t go through the same rigorous safety testing as legitimate manufacturers do. This means that counterfeit products can be dangerous, but they can also be ineffective or faulty in other ways.
Even if you’re not interested in buying a $10,000 computer monitor that’s actually just glass with some LEDs inside of it (which is what happened recently), there are still plenty of reasons to avoid counterfeits:
- They may not work as intended—or at all! A family friend bought an $80 phone charger from Amazon that turned out to be a dud; when he tried returning it for a refund or replacement, the seller refused on account of its “unsuitable” condition (which was mostly just dirt).
- You won’t get customer support from the company where you bought your goods. When something goes wrong with your purchase, will there be anyone available who can help? Is there even any way for them to contact someone?
Consider a price watcher tool.
Price watchers are tools that monitor the price of items you are interested in. They alert you when the price drops, allowing you to buy at a lower cost. Price watch tools can also help find coupons and deals on items that interest you, since they scour websites for these types of offers.
Social media is a great way to find good deals. You can use social media to discover deals not available anywhere else, like exclusive offers only available to members. You can also use social media to find coupons that can be redeemed at your favorite retailers, helping you save money on the products you want.
If you’re unfamiliar with how these work, it doesn’t matter—we’re going to walk you through how they work in this section!
Also Read: Finance Tips For College Graduates
Beware of free trials.
You may have seen an ad for a product or service that looks really great, but when you click the link, it asks you to enter your credit card number. The company promises that if you don’t cancel before the trial period is up, they’ll automatically charge your card for whatever they’re selling and send it out to you.
This is not what a free trial should be at all! It’s not even close, in fact—it’s just a clever way to get people to spend money without realizing what they’re doing until it’s too late. So if someone offers you something at no cost but requires payment information immediately, beware!
Shop Safely And Save Money Online: Conclusion
Now that you know the tips to shop safely and save money online, it’s time to start using them. You might not think that these tactics will work, but they can save you a lot of money and keep your credit card safe from frauds. The next time you go online, remember to check out these tips before shopping!
