Once Upon A Time, I learned how to buy things online. It was life changing, really. Sometimes this life-altering change was good - other times bad. Kind of like a superpower. I’m here to tell you of the dangers involved with making online purchases and some tips to avoid them.

One of my all-time favorite websites is called Etsy. It’s basically an online boutique where people who hand make products can sell them to people all over the world. Why do I love it so much? Cause, I’m slightly obsessed with Peter Pan (the original story by J.M. Barrie is amazing) and there’s all kinds of Peter Pan stuff on Etsy! I bought a necklack with a charm on it for $5! Chalk one up for me! On the same day I purchased this necklace I found a wallet I liked too. So, with great excitement and anticipation for my items I purchased them and camped next to my mailbox with baited breath. The necklace came. The wallet didn’t. It’s been a month and I’m still camping out by my mailbox. Unfortunately, this happens when purchasing things online. I do admit this is the first time I’ve ever had a problem with online purchases in my years of this practice, but it was bound to happen.

Here are my tips for successful online shopping:

1. Look At The Merchant Reviews: Often times, underneath the product you’re going to buy, there’s the name of the person or business actually selling you the items (this is most commonly seen on Etsy, Amazon, Ebay, etc.). This is actually a link, if you click on it you’ll be taken to a page with their name, information on how long their account has been active and reviews of people who have bought items from them in the past. Read the reviews! The reviews will talk about how long it takes to receive items from this seller, the quality of the product, the accuracy of their order, etc. This page will give you a great idea if the person selling items is trust-worthy and honest about what they send and when they say they’ll send your items.
2. Use Trusted Websites: Sometimes it’s still nerve-wracking to purchase items from websites with a lot of different merchants. You can find confidence in purchasing from larger companies online such as Overstock, Amazon, retail clothing stores and well-known brand names. You will have professional correspondence and they’re far more reliable. One benefit of using the larger retail online stores is the ability to return clothes and other items that don’t fit to stores near where you live or in neighboring cities.
3. Keep a Close Eye on Your Account: Sometimes there are glitches in the electronic processes of your transaction and your account may be billed twice or not at all. Make sure if either of these happens you talk to your financial institution to get the problems resolved. There is nearly always a way.
4. Solving the Occasional Problem: Sometimes, as in my case, you don’t receive your items. Sometimes you’re billed too many times like I mentioned. Sometimes you get a different product than what you had ordered. It’s best to always involve the merchant first and go from there. If you have contacted them first and they are not able to solve the problem on their end, go to your financial institution and see the best way to proceed. There are often forms to fill out that different departments will use to research your situation.
5. Trust Your Gut: If you don’t feel good about a particular transaction don’t buy it! You can usually live without it and if you can’t just keep looking! If something seems off it’s because something could be. Trust yourself and use good judgment.

For me, it’s just a waiting game now. I’ve contacted the merchant, didn’t hear anything back and have just sent up my form to hopefully have the situation fixed. I will be a little more careful about not making purchases based solely on a product I’m in love with though. What are your practices for online purchases?