Online shopping is one of the most popular purchasing trends today. We can purchase products such as clothing, personal necessities, cleaning and cooking products, kitchenware, and even household appliances from any store that we choose. We can buy anything we desire with a few mouse clicks. Because of this, most individuals prefer to shop at online stores. Shopping online is certainly convenient; nevertheless, two issues can emerge when doing so.
The current situation compels us to make purchases online because it is the most convenient method of doing so. Because all transactions are electronic, purchasing online provides us with the assurance that we will not get a virus. Aside from that, purchasing online eliminates the need to visit physical stores and spend money on transportation. For instance, we buy our clothes from online sites rather than traveling to the mall to get them. It is secure, and the payment procedures are much more straightforward. Some people even order food and cooking supplies online and have them delivered to their house in a matter of hours.
Based on customer ratings in various online stores, the convenience of online buying is clearly apparent. However, there are two issues to consider before making an online purchase. To begin with, while you can shield yourself from viruses, protecting your money and identity from hackers and phishers is quite challenging. We are susceptible to cybercriminals since purchasing and payment transactions are done electronically. Several payment procedures necessitate certain personal information, making us vulnerable to identity theft if we are lenient to provide it. Increased reports on bank account and credit card account hacking are also becoming severe nowadays.
Secondly, not all the products displayed online looks the same in actuality. For instance, most of the time, people complain of receiving wrong items, incorrect sizes and designs, and defective items. These issues are present in our country’s major online shopping platforms. Reviews on particular stores show how disappointed some customers are for having too tight or loose clothing. Other stores even send different items to the customers. Many complaints and concerns can be seen and heard on the news, where people are receiving stones and other weird items instead of the electronic devices they ordered. Consider the disappointment a customer will have after learning that they would receive a stone in exchange for their hard-earned money. As a result, reading many reviews is quite helpful in determining the legitimacy and reliability of the store and the products it sells.
No one can argue how online shopping provides excellent help in easing the purchasing experience of people. Though it faces various problems regarding the security and the quality of the product, it is one way of making our buying experience more convenient. Responsible and smart buying, after all, is what we need every time we click add to cart and pay to guarantee that we get the most out of the benefits of shopping online.
By: Mrs. Rossana M. Roco | Sta. Rosa, Pilar, Bataan
