Dear Friends,

Online shopping in India has taken it’s time to make it’s way into our homes. However, now that it has, It looks like it is here to stay, With the benefits it offers to working individuals and budget conscious family members. However, a caution, just like normal shopping, this too can be addictive 🙂

(Pic courtesy: http://www.morguefile.com)

I remember the phase where I used to dread shopping online. My thoughts were very typical of a beginner to this world of online shopping.

Will I get exactly what I see on site? Will they deliver a genuine brand? I am paying in advance via credit card, will this be a problem? What if I do not like what I have received? Can I give it back? Am I really getting a good deal or not?
All these questions and more were running in my mind.

That was almost two years ago. Now, I shop mostly online and love the fact that I get most of the parcels delivered to me safely in these rainy days. I do love window shopping and I scout around the mall shops for this but, I generally check the prices online before I submit myself to the urge of shopping.

So here are seven tips which worked for me. Hope they will give you some ideas too if you plan to shop online.

1.) Always buy from good authenticated sites. Check reviews online or take recommendations from someone you know who shops online. I will also include a post soon on the sites I have used before.

2.) If you are not comfortable with paying via credit card or online payments, check for COD payment mode. This is cash on delivery and you can pay the delivery person after he delivers your parcel.

3.) With the current trend of online shopping, most of the websites have the onus on them to provide genuine branded products. However, always buy the brands you have used before or know are right for your needs. This is especially true if you are buying clothes and remember to check before hand on the correct size. You can check the size on the clothes you already have for the same brand.

4.) Check for good deals. It is important to know the value of the product you are buying before hand. You can find out the MRP (Manufacturer Retail price) from a local shop and then you can check if you are really getting a good deal.

5.) If you are not a regular online shopper, try to shop for the products which do not need a size check, a quality check and a brand check. Clarity on what you are buying is essential otherwise, it gets confusing as there are different types of products even for the same brand.
For instance, if you are buying diapers, specify active baby pampers, medium, pant style diapers as there are different diapers even for pampers brands.
For furniture shopping, there may be an addition delivery or octroi charge. Also, you may have to assemble the furniture yourself. For clarity, please check with the customer support before you purchase.

6.) Always have an account with the online site. This helps you to track your orders and get reward points or good deals based on your shopping record. At least, it gives you a summary of what you shopped, when you shopped and for what price.

7.) Most of the sites have a return policy. Check this before you buy a product. And once you receive the delivery and need to return the product, immediately contact their support team and also put down on email to their customer service the exact nature of your problem, the reason why you want to return the product and check for the steps on how you should go about it. I have returned some products and have also got the full refund on them but, remember you have to do your bit of clear communication and follow up.

So, were these tips helpful to you? Do let me know.

Love,
Poornima