‘Tis the season to shop ’til you drop. Whether it is a thoughtful gesture in keeping with the Christmas season or a wonderful excuse to splurge, only the individual can tell but the bottomline remains – millions of us shop for the holidays and a great fraction now opt for online shopping. It is convenient and offers a wide-selection of items.

Personally, I started to shop online after giving birth. You know, too busy with the baby and too comfortable with my torn and loose house clothes to go out. Online shopping was a savior – from diapers to themed costumes. Just about anything that you can find in the malls are available online.

Now, in the Philippines, 11.11 is a much anticipated day for those like me. Two online selling platform giants – Shopee and Lazada – will both host a big SALE on November 11th (ooohhh, that’s tomorrow!).

There are several other online shops on FB, instagram and seller’s own website.

I encountered my fair share of issues with online shopping and is exactly the reason I am writing this, so, you won’t have to. Read on for my 10 Online Shopping Tips.

“Window” Shop

I know it sounds like a lot of time required, but no. Just look for the items you need and take note of the price, remember where you found them and compare. Keep window shopping until you find one that suits your taste and budget. Remember that the first find isn’t always the best find.

Check the Store Rating

Look out for the store rating so you can more or less tell how the store fares based on customer aggregate ratings. It gives you an overview of what to expect in terms of service or product, more or less.

Check the Product Rating

Now, also look into the rating for your product of interest. Some stores specialize in certain products which may pull their overall rating up, however the product you may be interested in, might not be in that roster. So it is always prudent to check for the particular item. This also applies to Amazon and Etsy.

Read Reviews

There’s huge chance you will experience the same. You’re better off warned or encouraged. Never purchase blind.

Carefully Read Product Details

Especially, be mindful of the color and size of the item/s because the picture does not always describe the product. Trust me.

Chat with the Seller

It will give you a good gauge of the kind of customer service they have. For whatever reason, you might need to return or request for some customization, it is good to transact with a seller that is responsive, responds quickly, and treats his/her customers well.

Review Other Conversations

In case you don’t have a question and no time to lose, check on other customer’s conversation with the seller. That will do, too.

Keep Coming Back to your Trusted Sellers (the suki concept)

If you already found a good one and need to repurchase whether on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis, save time and just go back to those who already gained your trust. Auto-pilot. Feel free to experiment, too, but start from window shopping and reviewing again, to have a higher level of confidence and certainty.

Exchange Notes with Fellow Online Shoppers

Always best to exchange notes with those who can relate and can ‘contribute’ to your online shopping ‘skills.’ Just be mindful this person does not encourage you to keep spending and splurging unnecessarily. *winks*

Leave Ratings, Feedback and Reviews

Remember how you were warned or encouraged by others’ reviews? It’s now your turn to help others know whether they are looking at a great find or otherwise. Do your part. 🙂

I’m a Jose Mari Chan fan, especially this time of the year. I just gotta insert his photo here. Clever choice, Shopee PH. For those not PH based, please click here for his bestselling song and you’ll be an instant fan, too.

I hope you found this article helpful. Please share to our fellow online shoppers. 🙂

‘Till next!!! 🙂