Temptation is open all hours
Clearing out a cupboard the other day, I came upon childhood relics.
They were tiny lead miniatures, monstrous little things, all claws and jaws.
IQ-retarding lead spewed from car exhausts in the 1980s, so nobody blinked at selling leadbased figurines to children.
Ah, the memories those figurines brought back, though I never could afford the whole set with my pocket money.
But hey, this is the modern world. You can buy anything, anytime.
Ten minutes later I was on the checkout page of an Italian company’s website, about to complete the collection 30 years later, before common sense prevailed.
That 24/7 ability to shop is the biggest wealth danger posed by online shopping.
I speak as a man/boy whose finger hovered momentarily over the keyboard to okay a €70 (NZ$115) payment for some small metal toys.
GOLDEN RULES
Be restrained in your spending Be cautious shopping online Always have your scam radar on
Impulse wealth depletion is just one of the dangers of shopping online.
The recent Commerce Commission’s Consumer Issues report indicated many of us are too trusting.
Exposure to advertising, false lifestyle expectations, and the ability to virtually walk through endless digital aisles are all threats to human wealth and mental health.
But so is giving your credit card details to an overseas trader you just met on the internet.
I asked Netsafe to tell me how to stay safe while shopping online.
First, buy only from companies you trust.
In our household, The Book Depository and British clothing retailer Boden are among the small number of online retailers we buy from.
It’s not just trusting them not to steal our money.
It’s trusting them to send goodquality stuff.
The commission found a lot of unhappiness with the quality of goods bought online, and the