'Tricks' to avoid losing money when shopping online

(Baonghean.vn) - The product received is completely different from the advertised photo, paying in advance but not receiving the product, or defective goods not being returned are common problems when shopping online. Below are some necessary notes to avoid being "tricked" when shopping in this way.

"Choose the right person to trust"

If you buy electronics or cosmetics, you need to pay special attention. First, choose a reputable shopping site, the goods and products sold must be inspected for quality according to regulations, have a variety of types and good after-sales warranty.

To verify this, you can use the search engines themselves to support. Type in the basic information of the shopping site along with some other keywords such as “complaints”, “violations”, “fraud”, “being processed”… you will have a lot of information to check the online sales reputation of the site you are planning to buy from.

Obviously, if a website has many complaints from other consumers, it should not be trusted.

Define “image for illustration purposes only”

Remember, no one takes ugly product photos to sell, all product advertising images are edited to look more glamorous. Your job is not to trust the posted images completely.

You need to learn carefully about the product on the official website if it is an electronic product, ask carefully about the ingredients if it is cosmetics, clothing or food... Make sure that if it is not as advertised, you will not pay when receiving the product.

Learn product information carefully

Sometimes the product descriptions are very grand, the pros are bolded while the cons are small and hard to see.

Or if an item is advertised as “like new, 99% new,…” then this is simply a euphemism for “used goods.”

The reality is that many consumers are reluctant to read and learn, simply choosing to click “OK”, “Yes”, “Next” or click the button to accept the transaction without understanding the terms and conditions. This can easily lead to risks that consumers cannot foresee.

"Cheap goods are bad goods"

This rule still applies to online shopping. If you are offered an item at a price that seems too good to be true, be suspicious immediately.

You will need to find out more about this supplier before making a purchase decision. In particular, check the accuracy of the contact phone number and address of the supplier so that if there are any problems with the order, you can contact and ask for help.

Use a credit card

There are many types of credit cards such as ATM cards, debit cards (you can use as much as you have), and credit cards (you will have a spending limit and spend now and pay later).

With credit cards, you will often see the Visa or MasterCard logo. Credit cards are generally more protected than other types of cards, so when using a credit card to buy online, the protection is also increased.

Also, you should use a credit card with a low spending limit for online transactions, so that in the worst case scenario, at least you won't lose too much.

Do not transfer large amounts of money before receiving the goods.

The truth is that there have been many customers who have had to "swallow the bitter pill" after transferring a large amount of money but still not receiving the product.

If you are not sure about the origin and reliability of the seller, you should not buy this product no matter how cheap or well advertised it is.

Pay for orders only on encrypted websites

Before making transactions at online shopping sites, check to see if the vendor encrypts their payments.

Many websites today use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology to encrypt information transmitted from your computer to the provider’s server. This is indicated by a padlock icon and the website address will begin with “https:” instead of the usual “http:”.

In addition, when transferring money, be careful with personal information; if the partner asks for a PIN code, bank password or other information unrelated to the transaction, immediately stop the transaction and check.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)