I ask this question primarily because I am interested in purchasing a few products over at Amazon. I've heard a few horror stories were people were scammed out of their money. What I usually do is read reviews (both online and offline) and professional editorials to see how much respect the product and company has. I also tend to hold off from buying new products, especially technology-related ones, due to the high chance of there being launch-day bugs. Yet, I feel online shopping is more risky, primarily because of the lack of face-to-face meetings and physical inspections. I want some extra advice before proceeding with the purchase. What procedure do you do before buying something online?
My advice is to do your research. Ask questions like "Is this a reputable company?" "Do they have any complaints with the BBB?" "Can I get in touch with a customer representative?" "What is the return policy?" Also, I would buy off of Amazon or other online sites through Paypal. They have a money-back guarantee for the buyer if anything goes wrong. Plus, I always remember what my mother taught me- If something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't!
Reviews can be misleading since there are people who actually pay to have positive reviews written and posted all over the net. If you have questions regarding the quality of a product then research would be your best friend. And when it comes to buying the product you've chosen from a store, get them only from reputable sites. It's highly unlikely that you'll be scammed on Amazon. Make it your go-to site at first. As you buy more stuff online and that fear of being scammed gets dispelled, try out other sites which might offer better deals.
I think it's best to actually buy in Amazon because I feel it's safer to buy there and yes, highly unlikely you'll be scammed there. But if you're really want to be sure, try researching about the seller and ask a lot of questions. Don't be afraid to come off as annoying, you're only asking a lot of questions because you want to be sure that the seller isn't scamming you and the item is 100% okay. See if the seller has the right details on his/her account and read through all the details thoroughly. If something is sketchy in one part of the details provided, either ask the seller or just move on to another seller. I agree that reviews aren't reliable nowadays because people get paid to make a good review so just do loads of research and ask questions. Good luck!
I think online shopping is a big risk in itself so there's really no guarantee unless you've tried purchasing from the seller before or if the seller has an established and well-known website. I have been scammed twice, but thankfully they were cheap items and didn't go over 30 dollars. Based on personal experiences, I always do a little research first especially when the item is expensive. I try to google the seller's shop name and sometimes it's helpful because there are reviews. However, if there aren't any reviews and you have zero idea if the seller's a scammer, I think it's best for you not to purchase the item. My only tip would be not to buy expensive stuff online unless the seller or the shop is an established one.
I don't think you can do much more than what you are already doing - read some reviews, ask around for feedback and experiences, google around for the shop or the vendor... And pay with PayPal if possible. They take quite a brutal cut, but they do protect their customers.
Buying anything requires some research both online and in person. The advice given is to check and always use a credit card, so you can at least have some protection if anything goes wrong. If something is too cheap then be wary, but contact other reviewers or look at their history. You can't always rely on them, but most people know if you get a bad review on Amazon, that can be the end of your business.
On Amazon, I think it is best to avoid buying things from China. The items that ship from there usually end up being very bad quality or it doesn't ship at all. Really though, I do not often run into problems with Amazon. In general, it's very reputable, and if you do not get what you paid for, they are very generous on refunds.
I have actually never been scammed on Amazon, but I usually just read reviews before actually buying something, regardless of it being Amazon or some amateur website. In my opinion, you shouldn't be truly concerned about this website, it's very safe to buy from. Would you like to share those horror stories you were talking about in your thread though? You've sparkled my interest.
I've done online shopping for quite a few years, so it's easy for me to spot untrustworthy sellers. You can start off by purchasing from Amazon directly instead of independent sellers. On ebay, I usually look at seller feedback and usually only purchase from top ebay sellers. Reviews also help, but I'm not totally persuaded by reviews since they can be easily purchased.
Aside from the usual research that comes along with online shopping. I tend to ask people for their recommended websites or sellers when they buy online. Having an actual person tell you their experience is sometimes a lot better than reading a review online. But that comes with the caveat that you must have a lot of friends that do already shop online. I do agree with most here that warn against purchasing big ticket items online. Still a bit too risky for me too. I've only really shopped for clothes and shoes online.
Firstly, I try not to be greedy and go after free money or unknown inheritance. This is one of their common gimmicks. That is to say I try not to be greedy. Another means by which people get scammed is when these hackers gain access to your email and one way I use in avoiding this by not clicking unknown links in my email.
