E-Commerce Guide to Safe Online Buying

If you're constantly shopping online, you already know the entire process. However, if you're new to the whole E-commerce thing, there are a few things you should know. This works when buying from websites or on Ebay or other auction sites. It's common for the online consumer to ask a lot of question about their order in progress. This is because you cannot contact the person by phone or in person and people are less trusting of the internet. There are certain things you must look for when determining the legitimacy of a website.

Let's go over a few of the most common questions and the answers to them. Websites with a solid foundation will often have a F.A.Q. or Frequently Asked Questions section for you to browse. This is where you go to find out the company's policies and see if they're in line with what you're looking for.

Is the product guaranteed and what is the return policy?

This is a very very important section. A site with no customer service department or return policy is a bad website. A legitimate company will always make sure their customers are satisfied, and they'll do this by having resources at your disposal in case you're not happy with the product. Don't buy from somebody who doesn't provide basic communication information and a return policy or guarantee/warantee.

How long will I have to wait for the product?

This is another sign of fraud or bad business. If the product takes a much longer time to be delivered than other products of the same type you're purchased elsewhere, stick with elsewhere. If a company is not professional enough to get you the package in a timely manner, you can bet they aren't going to be professional enough to care about your satisfaction. An average time period for shipping is somewhere between three to five days from inside the U.S. to the U.S. You can expect the same amount of time when shipping inside any countries boundaries.

How much will the shipping be? How do I know if they're trying to charge extra?

After you've been shopping online for a while, whether through Ebay or elsewhere, you can get a pretty good idea of a roundabout value of shipping costs. If you want to be safe though, get all the information about the item you're buying and contact your local postal agency yourself. They'll give you their price and if the seller's is quite a bit higher than that, you have a bone to pick and a solid foundation for your complaint behind you. I've had to do this on multiple occaisions, especially when the auctions are cheap and they charge extra for shipping as a way to lure you in. Not happening to me anymore. I make sure that when I buy things, I call around and get the proper shipping prices. You'd be surprised at how many people tack on a bit extra for the shipping just because they try and sucker you for a few extra bucks. Also, if you're selling: NEVER DO THIS. People will find you out and your feedback will go down the drain.