Online shopping is the new thing in thanks to information technology and e commerce. With the help of the internet you can shop anything now sitting in the comfort of your house. All that you have to do is visit the website. Select the particular thing that you want to buy and the next thing you know is that the thing is delivered to your doorstep. The online shopping has taken the world by storm. All most everyone how are using the online shopping facility to shop.

Yet do you realize the rate at which cyber crime is growing far exceeds the rate of growth of traditional crime. So unless you are careful, you could also end up being a victim of some scam. Of course we dont intend to scare you but only to caution you. We will now discuss safety precautions in online shopping, apart from other factors which keep your online shopping actually a pleasure and not a P.I.T.A. (censored)

The online shopping has many convenient points to it. The best part of it is that you can do it anytime. The regulars with online shopping will tell you that they find it better as there is more stocks online than in the shops. Many youngsters prefer this s it saves a lot of time. There is no need to waste the Sunday shopping. You can just relax in your house and get what you want. There are many websites that promote online shopping. Even big brands and retail stores have online shopping facility. The market experts say that the day is not far away when people will be able to order fruit and vegetable also from their homes. We don’t know about the future but at present online shopping is a craze.

Online shopping is becoming popular because these online stores don’t have to rent a shop and spend on advertisements this is exactly why they offer a much lower price than in any other store. Looking at the low price more people get attracted toward its. You have anything and everything available online. You name it and you will get it.

We all have internet and this is exactly why on line shopping is easy. The first point you need to be careful about online shopping is that it is addictive. Yes it is. When you can shop so conveniently you start doing it more often than before. As a result you may land up spending much more than you are actually capable of. This is exactly why the monthly shopping bills can be very huge. Try to control your shopping spree else you may be in trouble with online shopping. Like any other shopping you must be careful of the site that you use to shop. If you are doing online shopping then go for a site that is popular and has a reputation. If you go for a lesser known website you may be cheated at the end of the day.

There are two options in an online shopping that is either you pay in advance or you pay on delivery. Well if you are paying on delivery then you can see the product before you pay. You can also return the product if you feel that the product is not worth it. Whereas if you are buying something online and you pay in advance you can be in trouble. It is quite possible that the product may not reach you. If the payment is made and you want to return the product it may not be possible as the payment was already made. This can also make it more difficult to replace the order. So whenever you do an online shopping try to select cash on delivery option. Especially if you are buying a dress or jewellery this is because you must wear it to ensure that the size and the fit are fine.

Try to avoid using a credit card or debit card while shopping online. If you do then check that the site has a secure sockets layer so that no one can get your information. Never share your debit card pin or credit card pin with anyone when you are using the online shopping. If the shopping site is asking for your licence number your passport details or you date of birth get out of it immediately. You don’t need to provide this information to buy anything.  Giving such information may lead to your identity being stolen. When you have made payment using your card go to your bank statement immediately and check if there is any discrepancy in the statement. Don’t wait till the end of the month.

These shopping websites may not be very safe so please ensure that the virus detection is set on your system before you use the online shopping facility. You will have to create a login and a password on a website to do online shopping. This is exactly why try to use passwords that are very safe and no one can crack it easily. When you are shopping online ensure that you read all the conditions well before you shop.

If you are using the mobile be more careful and ensure that you don’t do any mistake. A small mistake while shopping online can be a very dangerous mistake as it may lead you to losing more money. For example if you order three instead of two quantity. It is true that you get used to online shopping and after sometime you feel that it is not a big deal and this overconfidence can be dangerous. Don’t use a public computer to shop. Always use your own personal phone or computer. If you use a public computer you may be in deep trouble if the information reaches the hands of a wrong person.

Many people use Wi-Fi to shop online this can also be a bad idea, that is if you use a Wi-Fi that is a public. Then you increase your chances of getting into trouble. The private information can be accessed by other if you use a public Wi-Fi to shop. Try to use a private Wi-Fi always. When you buy a gift card check all the details as there are many scams online where the scammers tried to auction the gift cards. When you shop online you will get a lot of mails in your email. Always check the mail before you open it. If you have got a mail from someone you don’t know about don’t open the link. An unknown link can be very dangerous and can get you into a lot of trouble.

We are not telling you to stop shopping online. Well you should definitely shop online as it is so much convenient. However, you must keep these ten to twelve points that we have mentioned in this article so that you can ensure that you are safe and no one will be able to cheat you. We hope safety precautions in online shopping that we have shared will help you to shop better and smarter.