Be careful when buying and selling online!

(Baonghean)- Online business is becoming increasingly popular, offering many benefits to entrepreneurs, especially those starting out, due to lower costs as there's no need to rent a store or hire sales staff. With the strong development of the internet, customers can shop from the comfort of their homes with just a click of the mouse.

A Facebook seller who sells products online.

Popular online shopping and business platforms today include Facebook (FB), Zalo, Lazada, 1.2.3 Shopping, sieumua.com, etc. Vo Mai Huong, owner of Gumiho shop (located in Vinh), which is quite successful with eyewear and fashion clothing, says that the shop's average revenue is about 20-30 million VND per day. Using Facebook to promote products, after transferring money via bank account, customers far away can receive their goods within 3-4 days or a week depending on the location. She is arguably one of the first shop owners in Vinh to adopt this online product promotion model, selling both online and in-store.

Similarly, Ms. Nga, owner of Baka shop on Herman Street in Vinh, said that since adopting Facebook as a sales platform, her shop has received numerous orders without incurring advertising costs. While her revenue isn't as high as that of Gumiho, with her limited capital, Ms. Nga says she earns 5-7 million VND per month after deducting expenses. She finds this model suitable because of its low initial investment and the quickest way to reach consumers. Many young people also use Zalo for business. Huong Duong, an economics graduate, said: “I just graduated and haven't found a job yet, so I'm taking advantage of this time to sell products online via Zalo and offer home delivery within the city. On average, I sell 8-9 products a day, earning about 3-4 million VND per month.”

Lan, a student at Vinh University, said: "I often browse Facebook to look at clothes and choose some products I like, then browse other pages to compare prices, and then go to the store to try them on. It saves time, and with my limited budget, I've been able to buy many beautiful and relatively good quality products." Further research from customers who prefer shopping online revealed Ms. Vinh, an office worker. She said that she once ordered something online but the product wasn't pretty and the colors were of poor quality. Through friends' recommendations, she chose reputable Facebook pages to buy from, and now she only buys from familiar, trustworthy sellers. She's wary of unfamiliar Facebook pages, especially cosmetics and food, because she's afraid of the quality.

Online shopping offers many advantages, but consumers also need to be cautious because products often don't match the images shown. Ms. Do Kim Ngan, a frequent online shopper, said that once she saw a set of bedding online that looked stunningly beautiful, so she immediately ordered one, thinking she had acquired a beautiful product at a reasonable price. However, upon receiving the product, she was heartbroken because the set she received was vastly different from the one advertised online. She even took a picture of her purchased product alongside the advertised set to warn others, including the link to order it online… Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (Truong Thi Ward, Vinh City) saw a friend recommend Lazada and, having her phone with her, browsed the site. Seeing a beautiful stainless steel cookware set at a cheaper price than in the supermarket, she ordered it without hesitation. After anxiously waiting for three days, she finally received the product, but was astonished to find that the set of pots she received was tiny, like something you'd use for cooking for a baby. Checking online, she realized that the product photos showed a large size, but she hadn't paid attention to the dimensions and didn't expect it to be so small.

This shows that customers need to be careful when buying products online, checking the product size carefully, inspecting the goods immediately upon receipt, and keeping the receipt intact, as they may need to return or exchange the goods. Online shopping is convenient, but not all websites and seller information are accurate, so it's necessary to choose reputable websites and avoid sending money to accounts in advance; only accept cash on delivery, as you can return or exchange goods if they are not of satisfactory quality.

We understand that, despite regulations on product quality control, authorities find it difficult to enforce them because customers rarely report issues, instead opting for returns, exchanges, or simply accepting the product. Furthermore, because product images and quality are always presented favorably online, and discrepancies are rarely detected, authorities struggle to monitor the information. Regarding tax collection, several online shop owners stated that business license tax requires a physical business location, and since their business is an online platform, they are exempt from paying it. To date, no tax authorities have visited or questioned them about income tax or other taxes. Consequently, online shop owners continue to operate without paying taxes, creating unfair competition for other business models.

Online business is not a new concept, but choosing it and succeeding is not something everyone can do. Whether online or in a physical store, reputation and quality remain the top factors for customer choice. Therefore, when choosing this business model, entrepreneurs need to prioritize reputation and quality and recognize that it is a long-term and effective business model, providing both income and employment, especially during times when finding a job is very difficult. In addition, consumers must also be very careful when choosing online shopping methods to ensure they select satisfactory products at suitable prices.

Golden Eagle