In case you are like me and millions of other Americans, you are doing more of your shopping on-line these days. There are various reasons more people are online shopping today. People want to avoid the crowds at the mall, find lower prices, have the convenience of 24 hour shopping and find a wider selection. You'll find some pitfalls and drawbacks to shopping on-line but these can be avoided for anybody who is a smart online shopper.

You've got an perception of a product you want to buy. You go to one of the big 3 search engines online, Google, Yahoo and MSN, to do some study. Or possibly you use among the many comparison shopping sites to seek out a store that carries the product you are searching for. Now that you have found the shop and the product at the price you're happy with, what is next?

Foremost, take a look at the shop contact information. Do they have a toll free number you may call and speak to a real person if any problems arise? Perhaps they may be an extremely small or new operation, if they don't have a toll free number, do they at least have a regular telephone number to call? The minimum a shop should have is an email address in which you can contact them. If all you find for contact information is a web form to fill out, leave quickly!

Second, take a look at the return policy of the shop you are considering. Sometimes the shop owners make this harder than it should be. In the event that you don't see a button on the main page saying, Return Policy, look for an info page. A reputable store will give you at least 30 days in which to return your purchase for a full refund of the purchase price. Do not expect the shipping cost to be refunded. The merchant has already paid that amount to the shipping company. Look out for stores that shorten the return time for you to 7 or 10 days. Many of these also have a restock fee that they charge. If you return an item to them, the restock fee can vary from 10 to 30% or higher. You should not have to pay a restock fee.

Third, take a look at the stores privacy policy. They should never share the information you provide them with when making a purchase with any 3rd party. If you have any questions or something is not clear up to this point, call the store. You should anticipate to talk to a real person during business hours and after hours you should be able to leave a message and they should return your call the next day. If you contact them via email, they should reply within 24 hours. Should you have any trouble contacting the store before a sale, you can be reassured that they won't be easily reached after a sale. So it's period to find another merchant.

One of my pet peeves is unsolicited e-mails from online stores where I have made a purchase. If they send newsletters or sale notices they should have an opt in signup. If you didn't sign up for virtually every promotional material to be e-mailed to you, you should never be contacted by them, unless it regards an issue with your order being completed and shipped. Personally, when I receive unsolicited e-mail from a shop where I've made a purchase, I contact them. I tell them to take me off their contact list and that I will never do business with them again. If enough of us do this, maybe they will take the hint.

There are lots of reputable companies, both big or small, online. You can buy great consumer products (just click the up coming post) at low cost and receive wonderful service. Just keep your eyes open for the few bad actors online who try to take advantage of you.