Back in December when reading this article in Consumer Reports, we would never have thought that today over 90% of our shopping would be online as many Americans deal with stay at home orders due to the Corona Virus Crisis.
Here are 5 things you should be aware of when shopping online.
- Evaluate “Amazon’s Choice” while shopping you will come across items that are market with a badge which indicates that Amazon recommends as highly rated. These products are usually well priced and will be shipped immediately. However, Amazon doesn’t disclose exactly how it selects these certain products and many of us assume that the product is good. Don’t assume do your own research there maybe better products out in the marketplace.
- Choose your Seller wisely. My wife loves the fact that she can return items and get a full refund and she is correct if she is dealing with Amazon, but buyer beware. Not every product is sold by Amazon, many are sold by third party vendors and you should read their reviews and their return policies before pushing the buy button. To check a seller’s profile and review their reviews and return policy. These third-party vendors don’t always have the same return policy as Amazon and their “Full Return” policy.
- Beware of “Hijacked” Reviews, what the reviews are not always accurate!
Yes, that’s right rating stars usually indicated whether customers are satisfied (or not) with a specific item. However, in the article Consumer Reporters found that it’s worth digging into these reviews as they are not always for the product you are buying. Consumer Reports indicated in their report that Amazon is aware of these deceptive sales practices and is working to fix the problem.
- Shipping, Prime items usually ship for free or have other shipping options.
Amazon also offers discounts and even rewards if you are not in a rush to get your product. You can find this option at check out “No Rush Shipping”
- Practice Deal Diligence always shop around Amazon does offer good deals but not always, Walmart and other online companies are offering good deals as well, so it’s wise to shop around. You can also add a price tracker to your browser such as Camelcamelcamel that can show you a products price history and send you price-drop notifications.
Shopping online is not going away; it is only going to get bigger as many retail stores look for ways to stay competitive and sell their products. Thanks to Consumer Reports for giving us this information to share with you our clients.