As you all know I mainly write for the plus-size and big and tall audience. When it comes to shopping online it does not matter your size in relation to shopping smartly. Below are a few tips and tricks I have learned over the years to help save some money as well as some frustration during the busy holiday shopping season.
- Shop early – The number one cause of problems is waiting till the last minute to order online then getting upset when it does not work out
- Know your size – If you know your size before you shop it makes it easy to look at the company size chart
- Shop on legitimate sites only – Sites that use Authorize.net for example can be trusted
- Read the TOS – Before ordering anything read all the fine print in regard to shipping, returns, and refunds
- Use secure payment – A credit card is the best in case of disputes but gift cards and Paypal are other safe alternatives
- Customer Service – Similar to TOS make sure there is an actual phone number and physical address BEFORE ordering from any company
- International Shopping – Shopping overseas can be a nightmare if you do not understand all the shipping, size conversions, and return polices
- Keep accurate records – Print a hard copy of the page with your order including the prices and the shipping information in case their is a dispute
- Avoid Phishing Scams – Unless you signed up to receive promotional material do not make online purchase resulting from unsolicited email
- Be smart – If it is to good to be true it probably is.
Though I am a fan of shopping online I must share a recent incident. My wife and I decided we wanted to purchase a washer/dryer combo unit. We were not able to find anything locally so we went to the Internet and found a unit to meet our needs. The great part of the deal was no tax and free shipping. The companies website stated 5-7 days for delivery. It took 11 total days for the machine to get to us and probably would have taken longer if we did not have all of our paperwork handy to make the necessary phone calls.
In the end shopping online can be a fantastic experience but you have to be safe and smart. I would love to hear some of your tips when it comes to shopping online. Be sure to comment or subscribe to the newsfeed for updates like this and others.
Good tips. i would also add make sure that you comparison shop also before you hit that complete purchase button.
there is nothing worse for me than finding out i could have saved some money if i would have taken a couple of minutes to research a bit!
.-= Goody´s last blog ..12 Days of Curvatude Christmas – Day 3 =-.