Tips to avoid being deceived when buying online

If you frequently shop online or are interested in doing so, read these tips that will help you stay safer when making an online purchase.

It's no secret that while the internet is one of the most powerful tools for communication, knowledge, and sales, among other things, it's also a very potent means for theft, fraud, and a source of various computer viruses. In this article, I don't intend to have the final word on the matter, but rather to provide you with some helpful tips for safer online shopping.

Online Shopping

• SSL Certificate

Before making an online purchase, make sure that the website has an SSL certificate. How do you do it? When you enter the site, check the address bar and make sure it says https:// instead of http://. The 's' ensures that the store takes precautions to prevent anyone from stealing our data.



• Design is important

As we well know, first impressions matter, and if we're accustomed to shopping on websites like Amazon, eBay, or AliExpress, we can likely identify websites that, on the contrary, aren't professionally designed. We can spot them by details such as excessive advertising, inappropriate content, or the lack of attention to every detail that should instill trust and quality for their users.



• Payment Gateway

Make sure that the payment gateway is trustworthy. While there are many of these, and you may not be familiar with some, it's quite easy to do a quick Google search to verify if it's a legitimate payment gateway. Some examples of trusted platforms include PayU, PayPal, 2checkout, among others.



• Purchase Details

Before making a purchase, make sure you know how you will receive your item, how long it will take, ensure it is exactly what you want, and check the reviews from other buyers who have already tried the product and/or have bought from that online store.

Purchases on Social Media

Shopping online is not only possible through online stores, but there are also many pages on social networks that sell products. This is riskier as there is no regulation, but we'll give you some tips to minimize the risk. Keep in mind that creating a Facebook or Instagram account is as easy as creating a new email.

• Quantity vs. Engagement

It's important to know that the quantity of followers a page has is not a good indicator of quality or trustworthiness. Sometimes, we might assume that having hundreds or thousands of followers means that they all trust the page. However, it's common for some individuals with many followers to sell their pages, and this is how others acquire those followers. Nowadays, there are also various methods to gain likes or followers, so I don't recommend using this number as a reference.

On the contrary, check the interaction between users and the page, and vice versa. Review people's comments, opinions from those who have already purchased and are familiar with the page. Have their products arrived? Are they reliable? Is the product quality good? How does the page respond to customer complaints?



• Be cautious about the price

Always remember the phrase 'too good to be true.' If it's very cheap and way out of the ordinary market pricing, be skeptical. There can be promotions, there can be clearance sales with lower prices, but no one is going to 'give away' a product.



• Payment

It's highly advisable that for these purchases, you always pay on delivery or inquire if they have a physical store where you can purchase the product. There are many cases where people pay, don't receive the product, and the website doesn't respond again, so it's better to avoid headaches.

Also, if the amount to be paid is high, try to meet in a public place, crowded places like shopping malls, where it's more difficult for them to steal from you. Do not hand over the money until you are satisfied with the product you receive.

I do not intend to say that all stores operating on social networks are bad; on the contrary, some are very good and have managed to earn their customers' trust. Let's just be aware of the risks we face when shopping online and how we can protect ourselves.

Conclusión

As you can see, being on the internet makes you susceptible to various types of fraud, but this is not to scare you or avoid it, but rather to take advantage of this great tool in a safe and aware way.

If you are reading this and you have an online store, take into account the reasons why people don't feel secure when buying and improve that in your store. This will not only make more people buy from you, but also do so repeatedly and recommend you. If you have any doubts about it, you can contact us to conduct an audit of your site.