Aussie Mum’s Guide to Online Shopping

Online shopping here in Australia is still very much in its infancy.  

We asked the question on our Facebook just the other day, and 78% of you still prefer to shop in-store.

Now, we totally understand that. There are loads of advantages to being to see, touch and feel something before you spend your hard-earned cash on it! But, online shopping seems to be where we’re heading, so it’s kinda hard to ignore.

Me, I live rurally and it is an hour’s car travel to the nearest decently sized shopping centre, so I love online shopping as it means I don’t have to drive.

Still, I thought I’d put together a guide covering all the basics on online shopping, from pros and cons, to shopping overseas, picking the right stores, getting the bargains, and protecting your money.

What Can You Buy Online?

When it comes to online shopping, the sky is actually the limit. You can buy pretty much anything online, from high class fashion, to budget sheets, and even your weekly groceries. Instead of asking us, just start googling! They are online shops selling almost anything you can imagine, and a few things you’ve probably never heard of.

Pros & Cons Of Online Shopping

Okay, before we dive into the complexities of online shopping, it’s important to take a few moments to look at the pros and cons of online shopping. Have you considered all of these?

Pro’s of Online Shopping

There are lots of pros to online shopping, particularly for busy mum’s who barely have enough time in the day already. These include:

• Stores never close, so you can shop all night
• You don’t have to get dressed to go shopping (a personal favourite)
• There’s no driving involved, so no traffic or parking
• You can take your time deciding on what to buy, as there are no salespeople or crowds rushing you along
• There’s no waiting at the checkout
• You can access a wider variety of products than might be available at your local stores.

Con’s of Online Shopping

Of course, you don’t get something good without balance, so there are also a few cons involved with online shopping, which you should really know before you dive in.

• You can’t physically look at the product, or try items on, before buying them
• There’s no opportunity to negotiate the price and payment term as you might be able to in a store
• There can be costs associated with shipping, as well as extended periods to get items, a hassle for gift-buyers
• It can be difficult to tell if an online shop is legitimate and not just a front to steal your details and money.

Is A Shop Legit?

Let’s cover what is probably to most commonly asked question about online shopping: how can you tell if a shop it legit?

This is a really important question, and one you should always be asking before you put in any personal details, and particularly anything related to your identity and account. Here are two places to start:

Website Quality:

When a website is a legitimate online shopping platform, that should show. We’re talking about proper product descriptions, details about materials, shipping, taxes and any other costs involved, as well as a variety of payment options available.

Complaints:

Google the name of the shop, along with the word ‘review’ or ‘complains’ or ‘problem’ to see if any other shoppers have encountered problems with the company before. You can also check the company’s Facebook page (although they can delete reviews from here).

What About Online Shopping Overseas?

Shopping overseas is not without it’s own complications. Generally, it’s safe as long as you’re shopping from a trusted online retailer and you have done checks to ensure that their website and business is legitimate. Of course, there are a few things you should know.

Exchange Rates:

Depending on where you’re shopping from websites may not automatically convert prices into Australian dollars, so just because it looks cheap, doesn’t mean it will be once the exchange has happened. Most overseas online shopping stores offer products in US Dollars – so remember to take this into account!

Shipping:

There are two aspects to shipping for people buying from online stores based overseas. The first is the cost, as international shipping can very quickly add up to a large sum on your online shopping bill. The second is time, as cheaper shipping options are pretty much always the slowest, meaning you might wait weeks or even months for your items to arrive.

Cost Concerns

One of the other things that people always want to know about online shopping, is if it’s really cheaper. We can’t tell you what it’s like for every single online shop out there, but we will say this. Online shopping operates with remarkably smaller overhead costs. They don’t need salespeople on the ground, they don’t need to bricks and mortar shop, they don’t need to pay for the printed advertising, the electricity and all the thousands of other associated costs of having a shop down the street. This means that online shopping certainly can be much cheaper than other stores.

Of course this isn’t the whole story, as you still need to consider the cost of shipping, the potential time between you purchasing and receiving your item, and the hassle of having to collect it from the post office if you aren’t home to receive your package.

Protecting Your Money

If you’re worried about your privacy and protecting your money as an online shopper, you absolutely should be. The internet is full of people looking to take advantage, but that doesn’t mean that they can, as long as you cover yourself.

Always keep your receipts and check your bank balance to ensure there are no unexplained charges. Make sure you read an online store’s fine print about how they handle security, how safely your information is stored, and how they deal with lost post, returns and refunds.

Be thoughtful about the information you’re giving away, and talk to your bank about what extra security measures you can implement on your account if you’re planning to online shop. Always be cautious about emails received from your bank, or from companies like PayPal, as scams are prevalent, but not impossible to spot.

What do you love about online shopping?