Kaki Shopping

Nowadays, with two kids in tow, I find it increasingly challenging to shop in retail stores or in the malls, save for the regular grocery shopping, I would say.  It’s difficult for me to take my own sweet time to choose and consider stuff to buy, and often times, I have to do it really quickly, and admittedly, sometimes I feel a little *shopaholic-unsatisfied*.

That is why online shopping has been a savior to me.  This doesn’t mean that I shop online a lot, but when I have the need to, I am thankful that this option has allowed me to do so conveniently at home, when the kids are in bed, and when those retail stores are closed.

However, there are a few things I do keep an eye out for when I shop in online stores.  They help give me a sense of security when I shop at a particular store, and give me more confidence about closing a purchase online.

• When I pay with my credit card, I look for stores with a secure sockets layer (SSL) on the site.  You can check this by either looking at the address bar and noticing a LOCK symbol on it.  Also, the URL should start with a https:// Alternatively, right click on the page (with https://) and click on the Certificates button.
• I also look for sites with an About Us link/page.  This makes me feel that the seller/store owner is not iffy about sharing information about themselves.  The site should also contain a seller’s address and preferably an email or contact number.  Online stores that have tons of products to sell, but contain no information about the seller is a total turn-off.
• When buying from eBay sites, I look for sellers with a good buyer rating.  I pay with Paypal when I purchase from eBay, because I know I can take advantage of the PayPal Buyer Protection.
• I try to consolidate my purchases to obtain Free Shipping whenever possible.  And I love sites that offer Free Shipping regardless of amount spent.
• I look for testimonials or feedback from previous customers to get a feel of what their shopping experience was like.  Sometimes the online site may not have a Testimonials link, so I rely on googling to get a fair view.
• If it’s my first experience with a site, I would usually email the owner to inquire about their items or policies.  I place high importance on the speed of email responses.  A timely reply shows me that the owner cares about what he/she is doing, and I would likely consider making a purchase
• I prefer proper online shops as opposed to blogshops, the latter, I know, is becoming more widespread now.  Blogshops make navigation rather difficult and when I cannot find what I am looking for, I am more tempted to close the browser and look elsewhere.

What about you?  What do you deem important when you shop online?