Top 5 Online Shopping Tips: How not to waste your money

I have been online shopping since 2008. I've bought a lot of stuff from makeup, to bags, to a GoPro Hero 4. I've learned a lot from my experiences as they were not all successes.

And if you're just starting out purchasing online, I have a few tips that you might want to consider before you click that Buy Now button.

There are two main sites that I use for my online purchases: Amazon and ebay.ph. I used to use OLX a lot, but since they removed the feedback system, I no longer use it as much. Back when OLX still had the feedback system, I found there were many scammer sellers in the site. And now, I just got more skeptical especially if the seller doesn't want to meet up.

And on that note, let me give you...

My Top 5 Online Buying Tips

1. Check a seller's feedback history - This tells you a lot about the seller such as:

• if they're legit sellers
• if they sell authentic products or if they're misrepresenting them (they should at least be honest if they're selling knock offs or dupes)
• how they handle returns or complaints

What if there's no feedback history? I would recommend to meet up with the seller, especially if it involves a big amount of money. Or search online and see if there are forums or blogs that discuss whether an online store is legit and see how they handle returns, complaints, etc.

2. Compare prices - The good thing about online shopping is that you can compare prices of the same product from different sellers. Most importantly, you should have a good idea how much that product costs at brick and mortar stores, so you know where you can save the most.

3. Have a PayPal account - Besides not needing to go to the bank or a payment center to send your payment, one of the advantages of paying via PayPal is their Buyer Protection program. If you had issues with your purchase, you can contest it with Paypal and you may get a refund if your payment qualifies for Purchase Protection. If you don't have a PayPal account, be more careful with your transactions if it's not a trusted seller.

4. If it's a gadget, meet up with the seller - To me, this is very important. For one, you can test out the gadget if it's in perfect or good running condition, if it's brand new and sealed or if it is as described (scratches, dents, etc.). Also, if it costs thousands, you don't risk sending your money and then receiving padlocks instead of an iPhone, or a clone instead of an original one.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to...

5. Do your research - And think before you make that purchase. If you are from the Philippines, you have to remember that unlike buying from physical stores, returning a defective or misrepresented item online is not going to be that easy. You have to contact the seller again, set a schedule to meet up or spend on shipping to return the item because most likely you have to spend on the shipping fee to return the product, or worse, they don't accept returns. So do your research. Are they selling gadgets from the brown market, is it the right color of lipstick that you want, is that product effective or does it have good reviews, is it the right item for you. 

Think it through before you click Buy Now. I hope you find these tips helpful.

Have you had a bad experience online shopping? Feel free to share your experience and tips in the comments below.