Online shopping, the Mecca for deal findings and savings on anything and everything a consumer could want, offers both advantages and disadvantages. All shopping has some of both, so here are the facts so you can judge whether online shopping is for you.
Advantages:
- Save money. The biggest advantage to online shopping is the amount of money you can save with a little time and patience. Just like in-store shopping, online shopping requires that you shop around and visit more than one site. One way to reduce some of this time is to use online shopping apps that will do the searching for the best deal for you.
- Offers more variety and options. Online shopping opens the door for easy shopping around the world. Instead of being limited to the two or three brand names or products offered in-store, you can shop them all. You also can run across small and upcoming brands or products that you haven’t heard of yet that offer high quality and more for your money.
- Shop from anywhere. Shopping online doesn’t require that you get dressed to go out and shop. Hop in the nude, wear the ones you had on last night or that old t-shirt with holes in it, it really doesn’t matter. You can also shop from anywhere you have an Internet connection on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Most major retailers online or off now have their own shopping apps.
- Shop anytime. You woke up at 3am or just got home and want to go shopping. The brick and mortar mall is closed but all the online shopping malls are open for business. Shopping online happens when it’s convenient for you, instead of having have to wait for the stores to open.
- Easy to compare prices. Price comparison apps and websites offer the convenience of helping your find the best deals on the product you are searching. Not only can you compare prices but also you can compare product features and options, merchants and even shipping costs.
- Skip the sales tax. While you can’t skip paying the sales tax at some online stores, the majority of them you can. The savings from not having to pay sales tax equals more dollars left in your wallet.
Disadvantages:
- Instant gratification denied. When shopping online, you have to order the product and wait for it to arrive. Depending on what you’re willing to pay for shipping, you’ll get it next day or in a couple of weeks.
- Safety of online sites. Scams and unsafe sites run rampant online, it’s up to you to determine that the site you are planning to buy from is safe and one you should be giving your information over to. Consider checking out the site through the Better Business Bureau, checking a price comparison site that generally offers details on the merchants as well, or entering the seller into a search engine to see if others have had issues. Online is still a little like the “Wild West” so protecting yourself is important.
- Shipping fees and charges. Some sites offer free shipping deals, otherwise you need to figure shipping costs into the cost of the product to make sure you are receiving a good deal or not. Often the deal looks like a great deal until you get the shipping added in; it’s where some merchants choose to make up their money.
- No touching or trying on. One of the biggest drawbacks to shopping online is the inability to touch, handle or try on the product before you order it. Make sure you read the written details and look at the pictures closely before buying. If the site doesn’t offer either, it might be wiser to look somewhere else or go into the store to see the product before buying.
The advantages of online shopping do outweigh the disadvantages but your situation is what best determines which type of shopping you should do. Just remember to do your research to ensure you are protected and have fun with your shopping.
Debbie Phillips is a staff writer for ShopSleuth.com. She is a black belt tightwad with more than 15 years of experience stretching her shopping budget while raising a family. She lives outside San Francisco, CA with her husband and two daughters.
