Sometimes it feels like we couldn’t live without the internet. It has become so prevalent in our lives in a relatively short period of time that it’s easy to forget that not too long ago, we had to walk into a store to buy something. For those of you who may still be hesitant, don’t be intimidated or nervous. The internet is a safe place to shop.
We weren’t one of the first adopters of online banking. We weren’t even one of the first million. Eventually, I decided that security had become sophisticated enough to protect our sensitive information. Now, we hardly use checks, since all of our bills are paid online.
The Rise of Online Shopping
Internet shopping has come a long way, too. You can find almost anything with a simple search engine query. We’ve purchased flooring, appliances, furniture, and electronics online. Is there absolutely no chance of fraudulent activity? Of course not. But the chances are about the same as a clerk at a store stealing your credit card number when they run your bill. Over the past couple of years, credit card companies have become more vigilant at detecting fraudulent charges and alerting you to the activity. This can be good or bad, depending on whether your spending trend suddenly changes enough to trigger an alert. I was in a pinch a few years ago when my credit card was frozen because I forgot to notify the company that I was traveling overseas. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t pay my hotel bill! Fortunately, these issues are easily resolved through 24/7 customer service lines—but not without a temporary spike in your blood pressure!
When shopping online for gifts, the biggest challenge I’ve encountered is deciding from which store to purchase an item. You are bombarded with so many options that it can be overwhelming. A simple search can return hundreds of thousands of results. How do you compare all of them? My answer is simple: Stick to the bigger-name stores. Especially with electronics, I try to avoid retailers whose prices are considerably lower than the competition. Sure, there will be outlets that can offer a good deal with the manufacturer, but if the price is 30%–50% lower than everyone else, buyers beware. In my experience, it is almost always better to avoid buying directly from the manufacturer, as you can get quantity discounts by dealing with retailers. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes buying from the middleman can be a good thing.
My wife is the queen of online coupons. I’m constantly amazed by her ability to find a coupon for seemingly everything. Most online retailers have a section during checkout where you can enter a coupon code. It can be worth your time to search for coupon codes either for the retailer or the specific item. Sometimes you may just save on shipping charges, but other times you’ll find coupons for 10%–20% off the total purchase. They’re out there if you search for them!
You may also want to consider whether to ship the gift directly to the recipient or have it delivered to your home so you can wrap it and send it to its final destination. There are advantages to each option. You will save shipping charges by having the gift drop-shipped from the retailer to the recipient, but you may think it’s less personal if you haven’t wrapped it. Either way you choose, the options are there for you to decide.
If you’re looking for something that’s no longer being made, don’t forget to check eBay. I was recently looking for a Spirograph for my kids, only to find you can’t buy them new from the manufacturer. I was disappointed because I had so much fun making amazing designs with mine as a kid. A quick search on eBay resulted in over 100 auctions for different sets of Spirographs. You’ll want to be careful with eBay, though—check the seller ratings and reviews before you make a purchase. My wife recently bought a new high-end digital camera from a reputable seller. We got a good price, and the item was exactly as advertised. If you do have an issue, eBay is excellent at helping resolve disputes between buyers and sellers. But it’s best to stick to established sellers.
Many online retailers, resellers, and auction sites offer multiple payment options. Auction sites provide the most variety because it’s up to the seller which payment methods they accept. Some even take personal checks, but they’ll hold shipment until your check clears their bank. For a quicker transaction, you may want to consider setting up a PayPal account. PayPal functions like a bank, allowing you to transfer money between accounts. The advantage is that you can buy and sell through PayPal, and the transactions are quick and smooth. We have our PayPal account linked to a credit card, which provides an extra layer of security since we don’t have to enter our credit card number at every site. We pay through PayPal, and they route the charges to our credit card. You can also link it to your checking or savings accounts or use it as a prepaid account, where you transfer money into your PayPal account and use it for purchases.
I’ve barely scratched the surface in this article, but I hope you feel confident that the internet is a great way to find and purchase gifts. Happy shopping!