November means turkey, fall leaves and family for some people and for others is means (insert scary music here) the start of holiday shopping. Even with a list, a budget and the store circulars, holiday shopping can be daunting which is why millions of Americans choose to shop online instead. If you’re one of the millions then these tips are for you.
Use a secure website. When checking out of the shopping cart, look at the URL or address bar to make sure that there is an ‘s’ at the end of the ‘https’. This means it is a secure website that encrypts your information when processing it.
Check out as a guest rather than open an account so that your personal information isn’t saved. But if you do have to open an account with a password then remember the password rules – use eight or more characters with upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols to make it a strong password.
Check for coupons. Lots of online retailers will have percentage off or free shipping or more with a coupon code. This website lists hundreds of them https://www.retailmenot.com/
Check social media for information about sales, products and reviews.
Check the return policy so that your gift recipients aren’t hassled if the gift doesn’t work out.
Create a paper trail. Print a copy of the product description, the receipt and any emails the retailer sends you.
Be sure to sign out of you’ve signed into the website and close the website down when you’re finished. It’s also a good idea to close the browser after that.
To make things even easier and to definitely get free shipping, consider digital gifts. Send your loved ones gifts cards for music, books, restaurants, movies and more, purchased online to be spent online.
Enjoy shopping from the comfort of your home or office!
