Shopping online was once a speculative business. You might have found an uncommonly good deal, or you might have been ripped off by an offshore scammer. These days it's easier than ever to make sure you're doing it right.- Check to see how long the site has been online. You can easily check through www.WhoIs.sc.
- Check to see if there are any user comments posted on www.Alexa.com. It's not the most reliable, but it's something.
- The bottom bar of your browser may have a "security warning" which will tell you if the security certificate is valid. If it isn't, that's not a big problem. If the URL has the "www", try it again without it, and if it doesn't, try it again with the "www".
- Always make sure to see enough photographs to understand exactly what you're buying.
- Make certain you're getting "new, in the box", and not a refurbished item.
- Avoid refurbished items.
- See if there's a return policy. Don't sweat it if you can't return it for "dissatisfaction', since that's your problem, but make sure they'll take it back if the wrong item is shipped.
- Make sure the shipping charge doesn't push the price higher than you can get the item locally. It's usually no problem, but once in a while the site will charge so much it just doesn't make sense. Also, you probably won't pay sales tax online, which can mean big savings, but some places have in-state offices, so the savings is lost.
- Avoid buying clothes. The sizes are always different than you expect, and you really need to see how they look once you're wearing them.
- Don't judge the site by its appearance. Some of the slickest sites may be a scam, and some of the simple may be age-old and perfectly reputable.