Online Shopping Tips (Part 1)

Assalamu'alaikum w.b.t

Hi guys, since quite a number of you asked me regarding online shopping, today I'll talk and explain about it, throw away few tips based on my personal experience to help you have a smooth and hassle free experience shopping on net. In United States, the popularity of online shopping had increased tremendously over the past 5 years and it's now a culture there. So in my post, I'll talk about online shopping in general but will stress about the rules, customs regulations, tax and delivery process in New Zealand. Now lets get started....

1. WHERE TO BUY

It's a basic question.In real world you buy a product from malls and stores,it's not so much of a different in a virtual or online world.The concept stays the same.Basically, you can buy products or services directly from the suppliers'/companies' website/online stores such as Apple.com, PlanesPlanet.com or Amazon.com. Another alternative for a possibly cheaper prices is through an auction site. The idea behind the auction sites is simple,the highest bidder wins, anyone can sell just about anything. Something you see as a trash might be treasure to others. eBay currently is the most popular auction site in the world but in New Zealand TradeMe triumphs over.

2. INTEGRITY

Before you make any commitment to buy a product, do check few things especially involving the integrity of the seller. You'll barely have any problem shopping through a well-known online store such as Apple.com but then if you are buying through an auction sites, do a background check of the seller. You can view feedbacks from the past customers of any particular seller and have a quick look at the seller's rating.

My advice is choose a seller with positive rating of at least 98% and above to minimize risk of you being cheated or have an unpleasant trading experience.I've copied 2 samples taken from eBay and TradeMe to clarify my point.Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge the photos.

A reminder if you were to buy any products from overseas, make sure the seller do ship internationally or at least to wherever country you live in. In case the seller does not mention anything about delivery options, email them and ASK !!

Okay, I think that's enough for the first part. I'll explain the payment options and delivery process in my upcoming post. See ya =>