The Ultimate Online Shopper's Guide: Score the Best Deals and Stay Safe

Online shopping is a relatively popular alternative to physically visiting retailers, but plenty of people are still very concerned about the security risks of online shopping. There are several notable dangers associated with shopping online or even being online at all, but try not to let that push you away from a potentially rewarding experience.

Shopping online for goods and services can be safe, so long as shoppers take a few basic precautions when doing so. Let’s cover the basics of online shopping and how to stay safe before, during, and after you make purchases.

Why do people shop online?

There are plenty of reasons that users give for shopping online, which we will explore more in-depth in the next section. However, one of the biggest reasons people shop online, especially in Australia, is to save money. Australia has its own set of difficult economic circumstances at hand, but despite the rising costs of practically everything here, the need for those products and services doesn’t simply go away.

Many Australians are looking for smart ways to save money in this economy, and online shopping can most definitely serve that purpose. By shopping online, Australians can locate price drops for a variety of goods they need and take advantage of coupons, promotions, and bulk buying opportunities they’d struggle to find in physical stores.

Further, avoiding unnecessary travel can reduce the need to buy petrol so often, which can help Australians contend with the country’s continuously rising prices.

Aside from these advantages that online shopping presents, shoppers have noted an array of other benefits they’re afforded through shopping online. Let’s talk about those now.

Benefits of shopping online

There are reasons why so many people are doing their shopping online, especially during the holiday season. While plenty of people like the feeling of going holiday shopping with family and friends, several benefits come along with online shopping. For example:

Easy gift-sending options: When you’re shopping online and you find the perfect gift for a friend or loved one who lives far away, the option to have the item sent directly to that individual exists. You don’t have to buy the present, bring it home, prepare it, and then spend extra cash sending it in the post.

Effective price comparisons: Shopping online makes it easy to compare prices between stores, especially if you have extensions connected to your browser that find the best deals for you.

You can find ANYTHING online: There’s such a massive variety of offerings online that no matter how particular your loved one’s tastes are, you can surely find something they’ll like at one of the thousands of online shops.

Time-saving: Shopping online can save a lot of time, especially for shoppers who know precisely what they’re looking for. When shopping online, it’s easy to eliminate the time spent driving to various stores, browsing their shelves, and waiting in long lines.

Convenience: Shopping online doesn’t require any of the inconveniences that traditional shopping does. You don’t have to take hours out of your busy schedule to set up a time for shopping. You don’t have to worry about anything going on at home while you’re gone (childcare, security, etc.), and you don’t even have to get out of your pyjamas in order to get a bit of shopping done.

Safety: While there are some safety issues associated with online shopping, they differ from the safety issues of traditional shopping. By staying home, you can avoid traffic, exposure to cold and flu germs, and other common problems that can occur when you’re out and about.

No crowds to push through: Crowds are one of the worst parts of shopping, especially during the holidays. Nobody likes the idea of being squished between people and having to push and shove just to make it from one crowded place to the next. Of course, smaller shops likely won’t have this problem as severely as larger outlets, but avoiding crowds altogether is a definite plus.

Fewer shopping-related expenses: Aside from the cost of buying gifts, traditional shopping comes with a list of expenses. For one, transportation. Whether you take your own car to shop or you’re coming and going via public transit, it costs money. If you’re shopping all day, you’re probably going to need to take a break to eat and drink. With online shopping, neither of those expenses has to be a concern.

What Dangers Exist When Shopping Online?

It would be irresponsible to claim that online shopping is free from any risks. Practically every transaction we make has some sort of risk attached to it, and shoppers who are aware of the potential pitfalls that can come with online shopping endeavours are more equipped to protect themselves from falling victim to them.

Credit card fraud is one of the most common dangers that can come from online shopping. When an affected individual keys in their credit card details to pay for their purchase, it becomes possible for hackers to intercept card numbers, codes, and other pieces of information. Hackers accomplish this task by rerouting the customer to a look-alike payment gateway that’s virtually indistinguishable from the site’s legitimate payment portal. Once they receive the information they’re looking for, they can then use the shopper’s credit card details for themselves.

Another common problem to watch out for when shopping online is exposure to malware and adware that can occur. Scrolling past ads is a normal part of surfing the internet, and while it can be annoying, many of those ads are just attempting to sell a legitimate product or service. The trouble is that not all of these ads are genuine. If a user happens to click on a malicious link disguised as an ad, a pathway has been opened and the device the user is browsing with can become infected with malware. Adware, on the other hand, can trick users into submitting personal information to scammers who will use that information for all sorts of nefarious purposes.

Identity theft is yet another threat to consider, and it’s perhaps the most serious threat of the lot. When criminals obtain other people’s personal information online, they can start using that information to fund their own purchases. However, unlike credit card fraud, this threat takes the devastation a step further. Criminals will pose as the user in name as well as use that individual’s financial information. Once it occurs, identity theft is often incredibly difficult to remedy.

Finally, accidentally shopping at fake stores is another inconvenience associated with buying things online. A fake store will look just like a legitimate platform in many cases, and the user won’t really have any way to determine the site’s validity at a glance. When the user makes a purchase, the fake store accepts the payment, and then never delivers the product.

Though each of these threats can be frightening to think about, or devastating for people who have experienced them, they’re avoidable. By taking precautions and following safe shopping practices, you’ll most likely have a safe, simple shopping experience online.

10 tips on how to shop online safely

Many of the general online safety rules apply when it comes to shopping online. If you plan to shop online during the holiday season, follow these tips to make your experience the safest.

Shop at trusted, familiar websites. Unfortunately, site links from social media or marketplaces can lead you astray. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain such as .net instead of .com. These sites are often designed to look legitimate, but that’s often how they scam you. At the very least, never buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed.

Create strong, diverse passwords. When creating new accounts on e-commerce sites, make sure you aren’t using the same passwords for your banking, email or government accounts. And try to change your password regularly. This is important to protect yourself from hacking or data leaks.

Keep your device’s antivirus, malware, and spyware protection up to date. Scammers don't sit around waiting for you to give them data; sometimes they give you a little something extra to help things along. The last thing you want is to be attacked by a new cyber threat.

Don’t leave your connection open (use a password). If you’re shopping in a cafe or using your hotspot, make sure you aren’t using a public connection. The biggest threat to free Wi-Fi security is the ability of a hacker to position themself between you and the connection point. So instead of talking directly with the hotspot, you're sending your information to the hacker, who then relays it on.

Use official apps if you’re shopping mobile. Consider the app version with the latest update, similar to your online banking, when shopping. Sites like Amazon and even McDonalds have their own apps.

If you're wary of a site, perform your due diligence. If you’re shopping with a new seller or retailer for the first time, do your research. Check yelp and Google Reviews to see if there’s any negative feedback and check if the ABN listed is actually registered to the listed business trading.

Verify any gift cards you’re using (make sure they’ve not had their codes stolen). Avoid buying gift cards on eBay or gift exchange sites as these are often a scam. Stick with the source and go in-store when possible to buy the card.

Try not to shop online while in public. People could see you enter in a password, or security cameras could also record you entering in personal information. Additionally, the network you’re on may not be encrypted (safe).

Don’t provide information the seller shouldn’t need. Give a fake date for things like birthdays (you’ll still get the discount code). The more scammers know, the easier it is to steal your identity.

Read through all of your statements regularly. Don't wait until the end of the month. Check your account regularly, especially during the holiday season, to view electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. It’s easy to miss small charges or charges from sites you use regularly so look carefully.

Finally, if you notice something suspicious, whether you have fallen victim to it or not, report it as soon as possible. Not only will it bring awareness to the issue, but it will also protect others from falling into similar traps.

How to Determine the Safety of Online Stores

Though online threats exist, most established websites you’re thinking of buying from are probably safe. Online security measures have developed significantly in the past few years and because of all the steps taken to protect shoppers, taking precautions will usually protect you from being taken advantage of by scammers.

While you’re shopping online, there are several things you can do to determine whether a website is safe to buy from. Let’s explore a few simple checks you can perform on your own to discover whether a website is legitimate. This checklist will guide your security research.

Here’s how to know if an online shopping site is safe.

Find the Privacy Statement
First, a legitimate website that sells products or services will have a privacy statement available to read. This document explains how the website uses and protects the personal information of customers who frequent their shops. If you can’t easily find the website’s privacy statement, it’s probably better to shop elsewhere.

Determine credit card acceptance
When shopping online, it’s reasonable to assume that you’re going to use your credit or debit card to pay for your purchase. Obviously, this is how most online stores accept payment, so if you come across an online shop that doesn’t accept credit cards, steer clear. There’s a reason why an online store can’t or won’t get certified by credit card providers, and that reason is usually that the store isn’t real.

Avoid ridiculous deals
Everyone loves a good deal, but if you come across one that seems too good to be true, it usually is. Businesses, even when they’re running sales, need to make a profit on the items they offer, so they’re only going to lower their prices by a certain percentage. If you notice prices that are more than 50% lower than the average price of the product, look into the store further before jumping on that deal. The lower the price, the bigger the red flag.

Locate the site’s contact information
Even if the shop you’re visiting operates online only, a legitimate website will still have the store’s contact information listed. Try to locate a customer service phone number or a business address. Once you have located the store’s contact information, be sure to verify it (look on Google for a match).

Look around for the site’s Certificate of Authentication
An e-commerce store usually has some indication that it’s an authentic business. This indication usually takes the form of a checkmark on the header, footer, or checkout on the site. The trust checkmark means that the store is accredited through an internet security authority. To verify the validity of the checkmark, click on it to make sure. You should be directed to a page that explains the authenticity of the site. If the checkmark leads nowhere, it’s fraudulent.

Look at the site’s reviews
Though websites can delete negative reviews in plenty of cases, looking at the review page can still provide valuable insights regarding the site’s legitimacy. For example, if there is no review page, this might be a cause for concern. Further, if there is a review page, but all of the reviews are written in the same style with the same format and grammar usage, they might be fake. If all of the reviews are glowing, or only a couple of reviews exist, you might also want to reconsider shopping through that site.

Shop through HTTPS:// Sites
When a website’s URL begins with “HTTPS://”, there’s a good chance you’re shopping at a legitimate store. The “s” that follows the first four letters indicates the website’s security, so sites that begin with “HTTP” are not secured while sites that begin with “HTTPS” are. Keep in mind, “HTTP” sites are not bad by any means, but it’s not advisable to key your financial information into a page that has not been marked as secure.

Now that you’ve read through this online shopping guide, you should be equipped with the information and skills you need to have a safe experience. On top of doing your best to practise due diligence, be sure to trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it usually means that something indeed isn’t right. Do your best to promote your own safety, tell your friends and family, and have a great shopping experience.

Finally, if you’re looking for a safe place to shop online and get great deals, check us out. Circles Life is all about unbelievable savings, which we’re able to offer our customers due to the fact that we’re fully digital.