Online shopping is gaining more popularity in the current times, perhaps due to the many benefits that come with it. Such benefits include convenience and money saving among many others. Unfortunately, even with so many advantages, there are still risks that come with online shopping. To avoid being a victim, you should know what to look out for and what mistakes you might make when shopping. Here are some of the common mistakes that could dull your online shopping experience.

Common mistakes

Buying from unsecured sites

You’ve been a dedicated online customer to one site for some time now and all of a sudden you stumble into another one, a new one that catches your fancy. Why? Because it has better prices and better advertising, or so you think. Unfortunately, like anything else online, shopping is racked with its fraudsters. Some online sites are only interested in robbing you of your hard-earned money. It is, therefore, important to check the site’s security credentials, reputation, and privacy policies before filling in your personal information. Steer clear of sites that have negative reviews or do not protect your personal information as they may sell or share it with other parties.

Not checking site policies

Before buying anything online, you should make a point of reading up on the site’s policies, especially on the return and refund procedures. Buying a product from a site that does not offer a return option puts you at risk if you get faulty or damaged goods. Be sure also to check whether they will refund and how long it will take if you return your purchase.

Using public internet connection

While it might sound like fun to combine your brunch at your favorite coffee place with some online shopping, it is not a good idea to use a public connection. Public internet connections expose you to any hacker who might be trolling, looking for private information. The hacker can use this information to make their purchases from your account.

Not checking on additional costs

Making a quick purchase without being vigilant of all associated costs that come with your product is one the most common mistakes that buyers make. This leads to surprises once the total is calculated or the credit card bill comes. The only sure way to escape this is always to check all charges before you buy any product. Such may be shipping costs or customs charges in case you are buying products from overseas.