6 Ways to Shop Safely Online During COVID-19 and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has changed the world and has changed our lifestyle habits. Of these, some habits may remain even after the condition normalizes. Hand sanitization, masks, and increasing dependence on online shopping are a few habits that are here to stay. Although sanitization and masks helps us stay safe, online shopping helps us meet our daily needs without stepping out of home. Customers won’t ever quit purchasing their daily needs and luxury items such as food, garments, entertainment, kids’ merchandise and pet supplies, and so on. People are buying their stuff from different websites and social media platforms today.

Although online shopping is not a new concept, it has been in news for both good and bad reasons. There are several good reasons to remember the websites that have been delivered during the pandemic. Also, there are several reasons to remember the online shopping safety issues that has been reported across the world. So in this post, we are going to share few ways to shop online safely during the pandemic and beyond.

6 Ways to Shopping Online Safely in the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond

The following are a few techniques that would help you avoid instances of online fraud during COVID-19 and beyond.

1) Stick with Reputed Retailers:

If you launch a location-specific search online, you can see several ecommerce stores selling similar products. Among them, you can find some reputed and less-known online stores. It is always better to stick with reputed retailers because they are the ones who have perfected their business over the years by investing in security and user-friendly features. So, you stand at a lesser risk of financial fraud. It is always recommended to bookmark the web pages of your favorite retailers or download their applications on your mobile phones. This is because any small typo error in the URL will take you to the wrong store. You may be handing your payment information to scammers.

2) Avoid offers that seem “too good at low”:

Do you know social media scams have increased in recent years? The U.S Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirms that the number of people losing money due to social media scams has tripled in the last few years. So, if you come across an advertisement on reputed social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook selling certain products at a throw away prices, verify the authenticity of the advertisement. You can visit the website and check if it is offering the products at real low prices. You can also compare the prices with other websites to check if they are also offering them at low prices.

3) Check the security:

Ensure the eCommerce website is safe before entering your credit card or debit card information. Look at the URL of the website and ensure that they are using ‘https’ rather than ‘http’. It implies that the eCommerce website is secured with the TLS/SSL certificate.

Each site owner should assume liability for guaranteeing the wellbeing of customers. This is because a non-secured website can introduce malware, steal sensitive data, and send spam text. It is important to read the privacy policy and check for the safety features throughout the website before placing the order.

4) Be careful of the amount of information shared:

If an eCommerce store requires you to add detailed information, try to avoid shopping from that store. This is because no eCommerce store can drive a customer to add sensitive information except shipping address, payment method, telephone number, and name. Check the site’s security strategy to see how your data is used and secured. Numerous eCommerce stores already express that they don’t share or use their customer’s sensitive information. And some other eCommerce stores say that they store their customer’s information and may utilize it for marketing purposes. Always try to stick with those companies that respect your security and privacy. Many eCommerce websites only allow you to purchase after registering on the website. It is always better to avoid such websites as they may be tricking you to share your personal information, which may be utilized in various ways.

5) Choose a secure payment method:

A secure payment gateway is an essential consideration, irrespective of whether you are shopping during or after COVID-19. Always check the payment padlock symbol in your browser. This helps ensure the payment gateway is secured with SSL certificate.

6) Check quality:

If you are buying products like furniture, clothes, and electronics online, ensure the product comes with guarantee receipts, as well as warranty cards, to validate its authenticity. Ensure to read the product descriptions carefully to understand the product warranty and other details. Check if the details match with the details on the original site or brand.

Conclusion:

Your carefulness and alertness while shopping online will help you shop safely during COVID-19. You can also educate your near and dear ones about the wisdom that you have gained here and from your online shopping experiences. If you are a business trying to host an online store, ensure you choose a secure and most user-friendly platform to build the same. This post ends you by introducing you to Futurism Diginyze, which is an AI-powered eCommerce platform preferred by small and mid-sized businesses. This platform enables you to build a safe and secure eCommerce store in few minutes.