Online shopping has become very popular and for good reason. It has so many benefits, including:
  • The convenience of shopping anytime from anywhere (in pj’s? yes!)
  • The ability to easily and quickly find the products you want
  • Access to so many more items than you could find locally. 
However, online shopping also comes with pitfalls. You can’t touch the product or meet the store owner before you buy. You can’t pick it up and leave the store with it. So how do you know you’re buying a good product from a reputable retailer who will ensure you get what you ordered? Here are our tips for enjoying the convenience and fun of Internet shopping…safely.

Seller Research

If you want to shop mostly on a few favorite sites, look for online sellers that stock the types of items you often look for and have a good reputation, especially for customer service. Any company can make mistakes or run into unexpected problems. You want to know how they react when that happens.Your first step in researching retailers will be a visit to their website:
  • Does the address start with https://, indicating a solid level of security? 
  • Does it look professional? 
  • Is it easy to navigate? 
If a website seems amateurish or ads completely take over the experience, that business might not be on the up and up.There are other clues: 
  • Are product photos clear? 
  • Are delivery and refund policies straightforward ? 
  • Is it easy to contact customer service or make returns? 
Probably the best judge of a retailer’s character is the customer, so search out customer reviews. (But beware of cherry-picked “testimonials”  on the company website.) Google is the most popular source for independent reviews of businesses, and it’s easy. Just type in the name of the business and the word “reviews.” Also note that price can be a clue...and not always a positive one. It’s exciting to find bargain prices, but tread carefully with businesses whose prices are significantly lower than their competitors. There could be issues with product quality or seller reliability.

Product Research

With a favorite retailer, you might trust in their product curation or choose products that are highly ranked on their website. But you can also independently research your best options. Again, start with a search engine query . It’s likely to produce an array of websites promising reviews, but not all product review sites are equal. Look for ones that aren’t closely linked to or paid for by retailers. Depending on the products you’re researching, the best sources for honest reviews could include: 
  • Amazon customer reviews
  • BestReviews.net
  • WireCutter (from the New York Times)
  • Good Housekeeping
  • Best Products
  • CNET 
  • Quora
If you have any doubts about the honesty of a review site, try searching for reviews of the site itself. And don’t forget to ask friends in your senior living apartments or active adult community about their favorite retailers and products! Friends can be the best advisors and are likely to be both honest and detailed.

Ensuring Your Safety

Unfortunately the Internet isn’t Andy’s Mayberry and we can’t know everyone we do business with on a first name basis. In addition, many scams unfortunately target seniors. So, to avoid cheats and scams, always follow good security practices:
  • Install fraud protection software
  • Set up strong passwords 
  • Don’t use public wifi when you’re sharing sensitive information like credit card numbers
Paying with a credit card or Paypal when you shop online also offers extra protection. If anything goes wrong and the retailer won’t settle to your satisfaction, you can file a dispute with your card issuer or Paypal and often get money back.And if your shopping includes looking for a new place to love and call home, contact our team today and we’ll share with you all the reasons you’ll love living at Overture senior apartments.