How to get best deals when Christmas shopping online
A WAVE of new coronavirus restrictions means for millions of people Christmas will start on the internet rather than on the high street.
Yet online shopping is the single most complained-about subject of the last six months, with 150,000 people making a complaint through Resolver.
How do you ensure that when you buy online, you get what you pay for? Here are a few tips:
Have a masterplan: You know that old adage about never going to a supermarket when you’re hungry? The same goes for sales and shopping when you don’t have a plan.
Before you start shopping, make a list of the items you might actually want to buy. Do your research beforehand so you know if you are getting a bargain. Don’t be tempted to deviate.
Be a cynic:
The laws and definition covering what constitutes a sale item are rather complicated – and shops often bend the rules.
If you see something that looks like a bargain, go to the manufacturer’s website and look at the recommended retail price (RRP). Bear in mind that items often sell for less than this all year round. Some websites have price comparisons if you Google the items too. You can also find price ‘trackers’ that monitor how much an item has cost over the course of a year. Find a free one online or in an app store.
You can’t beat the house:
It doesn’t matter if you’re convinced you can beat the techniques retailers use to get you to cough up your hardearned cash. The fact remains there’s a huge amount of research, planning and science employed by the retailers to get you to impulse buy.
In sales, watch out for ticking clock timers, glossy images, discounted prices, item offers ‘expiring’. Only buy what you’ve planned and budgeted for.
Be cautious paying in instalments: Virtually every Uk-based retailer now offers the option of taking out credit at the till or splitting your bill into chunks. Many also give you the option to ‘try before you buy’.
Be cautious of these deals. If you find you’re unable to pay, you could end up with a debt collector. And if you don’t return goods on time you could face a hefty bill and a load of goods you don’t want.
Check your right to return goods:
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Contrary to what some stores say, you can return sale items – but only if they’re wonky in some way.
Always open the delivery box and check the items as soon as you can – you’ve got 30 days to return them to get a refund if they are broken, damaged or not as advertised.
Check charges:
If you’re buying a big item make sure you’ve checked to see if there will be a delivery charge.
Some firms offer assembly services for big items too, but a local handyman may do the job much cheaper. Just because the assembly firm is recommended by the retailer, it doesn’t mean they’ll replace the item if it’s damaged by the workman.
Buying abroad: Watch out for any charges for items bought from other countries. The exchange rate will be applied when the retailer processes the transaction so bear in mind the ‘estimates’ on websites aren’t guaranteed. International shipping charges have changed significantly in recent years, too. Items that might seem a bargain in the USA will now have a hefty charge for UK delivery. Your rights with returns and rip-offs also diminish considerably too.
Lots can go wrong when you shop online, but if the business is legitimate, you can complain for free through resolver.co.uk and find out more about your rights too!