What you need to know about buying online

If you are planning to do the majority of your Christmas shopping this year on the internet you will need to get clicking quickly.
There are several tips for online Christmas shopping, which can make the experience a smooth and pleasant one.
If you want to get the best selection, begin your holiday shopping early. Internet stores generally carry large quantities of every item, but even they can sell out. As Christmas draws near, it becomes more difficult to find the exact item that you are looking for. There is nothing like finding the perfect item and seeing the words, ‘Sold Out’ written under the price.
It’s a good idea to start your shopping with a complete list. This will save you both time and money with having to go back and place a separate order later on. With most online stores, you pay a flat shipping fee. In some cases, if you spend a certain amount of money on your order, the shipping and handling fee is waived. It’s always best to get everything you want, all at once, to save on shipping. Before you commit to buying from one store, shop around and compare prices on both the product and shipping.
A business might have a great website but doesn’t necessarily mean it is law abiding.
Make sure you know the trader’s full address, especially if the company is based outside the UK.
Make sure you know who you are dealing with, and resist buying items in response to unsolicited e-mails from unknown companies, because they may be fraudulent.
Do not enter personal information in a pop-up screen, a signal that the information may be used by an identity thief. Legitimate companies don’t ask for personal information via pop-up screens
Check credit card and bank statements carefully. Notify the bank immediately if there are unauthorised charges or debits or if you were charged more than you should have been.
Don’t assume an internet firm is based in the UK just because it’s web address has ‘UK’ in it, look for a physical address and phone number.
Check the website has a secure way of paying, look for a padlock at the bottom of the screen when you are filling in the payment details.
If you follow the above tips your experience of shopping online should be a trouble free one.