Tips to Remember When Shopping Online

The internet has changed many things, especially the way we do our shopping. Whereas we had to physically go down to the shops before the internet became widely used, now we can just sit at home with our laptop and credit card and have everything we buy delivered to our door.

However, online shopping is not without its risks, and there are several tips for shopping online that you need to be aware of if you've never done it before.

Stick with online shops that you know and trust. Don't use a search engine to search for retailers, as you might not be able to tell if they're genuine or not once you get further down the results rankings. Always ensure that the site is secure when you come to pay or enter any personal information at all – look for either a padlock somewhere on the browser or see if the URL of the website begins with HTTPS rather than HTTP, as the S signifies the presence of secure sockets layer encryption.

Check your bank statements regularly to ensure that you always know how much money should be leaving your account. Never do any shopping at a public terminal – always do it at home for privacy, security settings that you're familiar with and without the risk of someone peering over your shoulder while you're typing your credit card details in. It's relatively easy for hackers to gain access to your personal information, but if you take the proper precautions in terms of your online safety it should be nigh-on impossible for them to even get your name, let alone your credit card security code.

The most important thing you can do when shopping online is trying before you buy whenever possible. Things like grocery, electronics items, furniture, etc. might be cheaper online than in person, but you can still try them in-store before buying them online. In terms of beds, it's easy to have it delivered and set up in your bedroom by qualified deliverymen, but look at it in the showroom beforehand so you can assess its size and the way it feels when you lie on it – don't just buy it off the company's website before you've had a chance to test it out.