During this outbreak of Covid-19 Pandemic situation, many people are more comfortable to shop online in the comfort of their own home. Other than saving extra expenses and also energy, shopping online could help to prevent shoppers from getting infected with dangerous coronavirus. That also helps to flatten the curve of infection.
Since many people have decided to shop online, there are cases of buying fake products or even got scammed by the seller being reported lately. Due to that, some precaution methods need to be taken so that shoppers can avoid those.
These are 5 tips to avoid buying fake products when shopping online:
1) Your purchase must be eligible for refunds and also warranties.
Online shopping platforms such as Shopee and also Lazada usually have a 15-day return policy to protect their customers’ satisfaction and safety. This policy will come in handy if you are not satisfied with something you have bought. Shoppers could return the item that they have bought and ask for a refund. The refund can be chosen either between money refunded to your bank account or as store credit.
2) Have some information about the sellers and their reputation.
Before buying, customers could check if the store has good ratings and reviews, how long they’ve been selling on the platform, and also whether they ship items on time. Trustworthy sellers are usually given a “Preferred” label on their profile as a sign of endorsement if they have a long history of excellent reviews and also quality products.
3) Have a look at the product description and also reviews.
Any product that has mostly positive reviews is a fair indication that it is a good product. Customers who include photos in their reviews help everyone notice whether the product received is the same as what the seller advertised. Other than that, never ignore negative reviews as they may tell a different story, buying experience, or perhaps a fine print that most customers did not notice.
4) Contact the sellers if there are any questions to be asked.
Use the chat section to ask the sellers if the customers have any questions. If the customers need to know more information about the product that they are interested in, good sellers will respond to you quickly when you chat with them. Some sellers might even tell you whether shipping is delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
5) Customers could buy from official stores for quality if they are in doubt.
It is always recommended for all the customers to buy from official sellers on any online shopping platform if the customers do not want to take risks. Official brands sold in Shopee and also Lazada spaces are called Shopee Mall and LazMall respectively. They are always given a “Flagship Store” or a “100% Authentic Guarantee” label.
Sources: Shopee.