Let us be honest. People love to shop not only in person but especially online. This claim is quite right. Though not just in Singapore since the whole world could relate to it. That is why online shopping is here to stay—for several good reasons. Besides better deals, various selections, easy to return items, you can shop anything in just a few clicks. No wonder why many choose this option rather than leaving their house and buy their needs in person! And in times of pandemic, it is safer to shop online than going out even if you are wearing a face mask and get yourself either fashion, computer or reading glasses in Singapore.
Though how sure are we that it is indeed safe to shop online? Since the internet is not exactly a safe place, one wrong move can put our safety at risk. As an online buyer, the only thing you do is be mindful of everything. Watch out for what you do and let your family members do the same thing, too.
To keep you safe at all times, consider following the eight tips below. It will let you know how to shop safely online and have a safer online shopping experience!
Stores.
There is a reason why people should only buy from reliable online stores. As you can guess, the number of online retailers increases each day, and not all of them are the same. Some are genuine sellers, while others are there to only scam people and steal everything from them. That is why as an online buyer, you should be careful where you buy the things you need and want to have.
To not let any unfortunate events happen to you, you should only buy from reputable sellers. Besides having contact details and customer reviews on their website, you should run their URL on both Whois lookup and Google Safe Browsing. Doing so would let you know if the shop is a safe website to buy your dream Bluetooth speakers or anything in Singapore.
You could also read reviews on Google and Facebook if you want to know if the buyers before you are real people that bought something from that shop you are checking out right now.
Look for a Padlock Sign.
Another way to find out if the online store is a safe place to shop is to look for a padlock sign. Usually, you can find this at the upper left corner of the browser, where the URL is. There, you will see that the URL starts with HTTPS. The S of HTTPS stands for secure. That is why if the S is not there, that means the website is not secure. Therefore, that online store is not exactly a safe place to shop.
Also, the S on HTTPS shows that the website has SSL encryption. It means that the website went through layers of protection to keep all the data coming in and out safe. As an online buyer, knowing there is a padlock sign on that online store brings you peace of mind while shopping.
Never Overshare.
During the past years, people tend to share too much information about their life. As such, they get the end of the stick. That is why if this has not happened to you yet, keep doing what you always do. Share only what is needed, and do not bother to let others know more about you, especially if you love going on a shopping spree.
To further not let this happen, here are some brief reminders you must not forget.
- No online retailers need a Social Security Number or birthday, so skip it or do not mind that.
- Before doing anything unusual, ask yourself. Do you want to share this even if it is too personal?
- Always check and update the privacy setting.
- Turn off the app or website’s location tracker.
- Never post credit card information on social media.
In other words, only give as little information about you as possible whenever you are shopping for fashion glasses or other accessories in Singapore.
Online shopping is indeed a fun thing to do. It keeps our mind unwind and relaxes from the bad news of the world. But using weak passwords is quite alarming since all information about you is at risk. According to Strait Times, 123456 is the common password that people around the world use. Most often than not, those who use it always got their information hacked.
That is why instead of guessing if that online store is a safe place to shop, you should do your part first. Choose strong passwords on your shopping account. Here are some clues on how to create strong passwords.
- Use at least eight to twelve characters.
- Combine characters from upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. For example, Sgnocovid19!
- Ensure that it does not have any details about your name, date of birth, and Social Security number.
- Consider using a mnemonic method to create complex passwords.
Also, once you have already created strong passwords, write them down on an actual notebook and not on your phone or computer. Doing so will keep you safe at all times. Make sure to place the date when you create and change it. Having those written will help you a lot later on when you have to access your account.
Inoculate Your Computer.
Hackers do not just sit around waiting for you to give them your information. As much as possible, they will do anything to get what they want. Sometimes, they give their victims something extra (malware, viruses, and bugs) to help them out. That is why you should know how to protect yourself from these so nothing will cause damage to your computer.
The first thing you need to do is have the antivirus software installed on your computer. This programme will not only protect you from spam, spear-phishing emails but also from those viruses trying to get through your firewall.
To further protect you, make sure not to use only the trial antivirus software, but pay for the full-lown security suite. Doing so will keep you safe at all times. Even more, if you keep the programme up to date. You could do that by running the scan before and after you shop for Bluetooth speakers and other things in Singapore.
Pay with a Credit Card Instead.
What era are we in right now? That is right! It is already the 21st century, which means more businesses are now accepting credit cards for payments. As an online buyer, this is such a piece of good news. Now, you can buy anything in one swift, no need to bring a hefty amount of cash wherever you are.
More importantly, you can use credit cards to pay for anything you want to buy online. All you have to do is input some details and confirm your payment so the bank will proceed through. But is that all the reason why it is a better choice as a mode of payment? Get your answers with the reasons below.
Receive Cashback.
Shopping online is not all about spending money. Sometimes, you can earn a bit when you shop using a credit card. You already know, some credit cards offer a 2% or 3% rate of cashback on all purchases, but only after meeting requirements.
These conditions vary from banks that grant a credit card.,
Get Reward Points.
Apart from cashback, there are times a cardholder can receive reward points for each purchase they made using the credit card. Sometimes, they can use those bonuses to buy things they like a portable air purifier in Singapore. They could also use those reward points to pay for their restaurant meals or grocery items.
Less Risk If the Card Number Got Stolen.
Even though online transactions are safe, there is nothing wrong with being more careful since there are times when a card number gets stolen. As such, you will end up having nothing on your savings.
But with a credit card, no thief can get away, even if they can get your card number. The bank would not let them touch the money in your account without your approval or consent.
Easy to Handle Dispute Transactions.
Anything can happen in life. When it comes to online shopping, some retailers might not deliver the items their customers have ordered. Such a situation is quite hard to handle when you already paid them through a debit card.
Sometimes when filling out a dispute transaction, it might take days to weeks before receiving any resolution. Meanwhile, when using a credit card, expect a resolution within 24 hours since you file a complaint.
As you can see, there are many perks of using a credit card when shopping online. Just make sure you limit your purchases and not get addicted to the convenience of it. Take note when shopping online, do it once a while and all the time.
Even if you are only using your phone and your hotspot, that is still not safe when you are out in the open. Just imagine how many snoopers will look at your phone and try memorising your credit account details. There are quite a lot to mention. That is why you should not shop online when you are in public.
Take note that even your favourite restaurant nor cafe is not safe from snoopers. There are always people trying to snoop and get your details outside. Therefore, whenever you feel like you want to buy something, do it at home or in the office where there are no other people behind you, snipping over your shoulder.
Disinfect Package Deliveries!
Even though we already flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, the novel coronavirus is still out there. Going outside is still not safe even when wearing a face mask. That is why when receiving delivery packages from the things you bought, like a computer chair or glasses in Singapore, you should handle it with precaution.
Here are the things you need to do with the package deliveries you will receive.
- Let the courier leave the package delivery in front of your doorstep. For cash on delivery (COD), leave your payment on the flower pot (if you have any) or under the welcome doormat.
- Wear a face mask, face shield, and gloves when receiving the package delivery.
- Once you got the package, take out the item from the box and keep the box outside.
- But before taking out the item inside, use another pair of gloves. Once the product is out, remove the gloves and wash your hands with soapy water.
- Now get an alcohol spray and splash it on the product. Let the alcohol sit there before touching the good with your bare hands.
- If there is another package after removing it out of the box, make sure to wash that packaging, especially when the wrap is plastic.
- Next, spray some alcohol on the item to disinfect it.
Doing all these steps will not only keep your products clean. It will also keep you and your family safe from possible virus transmission that the package deliveries might contain.
Be Safe While Shopping Online!
Being able to shop safely online puts our mind and wallet at ease. As an online buyer, you should not only enjoy the perks of online shopping for things like computer glasses. You also have to keep yourself safe at all times. Doing so will help you have a much safer shopping experience! Letting that happen is indeed a huge benefit not only for you but also for your family.
That is why before you use all the money you have and spurge everything on your favourite online store, think twice before checking out. By doing so, you can keep yourself and family members safer and get the most out of your online purchases.
Now be safe and quick, and try these tips when you shop for a portable air purifier in Singapore! You can start today and use the tips mentioned above when you go to Lamch & Co! For sure, you will have a safer online shopping experience.