Online shopping is quick, comfortable and easy. It allows you to shop an extremely wide range of products, situated all around the world, in a couple of clicks while sitting on your sofa. It’s the shopping of the future.

Online shopping is the way forward however if not used properly you could hit some pitfalls that will affect your pockets. To help you make the right choice we have compiled some 5 top tips on how to be a savvy online shopper.

Despite all the honest and hardworking online companies, the risk of being frauded is just around the corner.

That’s why it’s important to recognize a trustworthy seller.

Here are our top tips on how to distinguish between a secure vendor and a scam

         1. Reputation

A simple research of the buyer’s name on Google can reveal if it’s already been reported by someone for fraud, for being unreliable or any other reason of this kind. If you do find similar evidence, avoid buying from this seller

        2. Reviews

Always check the brand’s reviews from different channels (if available). If you notice most of the reviews are negative, and customers are overall unhappy or if the good reviews appear to be fake, not realistic, all the same, or linked to fake/ not existing profiles, you should consider whether you want to shop from this seller.

         3. Secure web address

Verify the website connection is secure by checking the first part of the site URL. It should be https and have a little lock icon on its left side.

         4. Never provide “too personal” information

Never trust a seller that requires unusual details from you, different from the ones needed to make a payment (such as your card’s PIN, document number or Online banking login details)

Don’t stop shopping online due to the worry of being a victim of fraud. Protect yourself and go!