Online Shopping

Technological advancement has had marked changes in the way people live and carry out their essential daily activities. The business industry has been a prime beneficiary, especially with the discovery and implementation of Online Shopping idea.

Unlike in the past, the location is currently not a factor in any business deals and transactions. People living in distant geographic locations can exchange money and goods comfortably via the Internet. It is the modern way of doing business, and everyone, including individuals and corporations, seem to be particularly excited about the concept.

The entire concept has its merits. That is why people have appreciated and accepted it as a way of selling and buying goods and services. However, there is the other side of the coin, which people may or may sometimes fail to put into consideration: personal security.

In order to buy any item using this facility, one must provide their details to the seller. The information given, known as Personal Identifiable information, may at times be acutely sensitive, for instance, ATM Card Number, Social Security Number, billing address and even the private names. To be safe, there must be sound measures to ensure Protection of Personal Information (Ginster, “The Benefits of Online Shopping”).

To begin with, there is always incredible convenience when one uses Online Shopping. One can shop at a time of their convenience: at night, during the day, in the morning or afternoon. Mothers with small children, particularly, do not have to worry about long distances walking with their babies back. A person can no longer give work as an excuse for not making a necessary shopping activity. People can access goods or services from any corner of the world, yet they do not have to meet their vendors physically. This is unquestionably superb!

Besides, buyers can make price comparisons of different vendors quite comfortably. This may sometimes be a tremendous challenge to buyers due to such factors as a long distance between two shops, and insufficient time to move around making comparisons instead of doing other necessary jobs. Online Shopping offers quick simultaneous accessibility to the commodity prices from different vendors from the comfort of the buyer’s desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone and other electronic devices with such capability.

Moreover, Online Shopping offers lower prices on items than the prices in the stores near the buyer’s doorstep. This is, hugely, because most items that vendors sell online come directly from the manufacturer. There are usually no middlemen involved. Sometimes, middlemen may participate. However, most online shops offer discounts on their commodities lowering their final cost. This is what any shopper would deeply appreciate.

Additionally, the presence of consumer reviews makes Online Shopping remarkable. Such reviews help buyers choose items from an informed point of view. A person does not have to pick what is available from the market. They seek for what other buyers have to say about the items they would like to buy.

Admittedly, shopping online could be a particularly appropriate choice. This is especially beneficial for purchases of private items such as sexy lingerie and adult toys. These are items that many people would find it quite embarrassing to approach a shopkeeper and make a comfortable request of their purchase. In some cases, people even end up not using such commodities even when they need them.

Furthermore, there is always a wide range of vendors and commodities to shop through the Internet. Sometimes, different physical barriers may compel people to access just a few items from their locality. This is not the case while online shopping (Anamika, “Top 10 Benefits of Online Shopping”).

A significant problem with online shopping is a possible online fraud. People disclose their bank details, ATM Card information and their personal identity to vendors who may or may not be legitimate. When dealing with online fraudsters, the buyer risks revealing their valuable information to malicious people who may defraud him or her. This is a substantial security concern for all people who do online shopping. They need to observe uttermost care when making any online transactions. This could be made possible by thorough personal investigation and establishment of genuine and trusted vendors who have adequate mechanisms for protecting personal information given to them. This simply means that all buyers have to have prior knowledge of secure shopping online systems before making any attempt to give out their personal details.

Some computer applications such Spyware on your machine may capture one’s personal information. An attacker could use such information to hack into your bank, the buyer’s bank accounts or simply use the information in a harmful way against the buyer. This is regardless of whether the vendor system is secure or not, and the vendor does not take responsibility for such damages.

In online shopping, one cannot get to see the item of their choice. They do not have a chance to seek for any clarification about the purchases physically. This may lead to the shipment and delivery of defective items to the buyer. In some other scenarios, the pictures of items in online shops usually look more fascinating than the actual ones, on delivery. This may lead to considerable disappointments when a person gets what he/she did not expect.

There are usually additional charges on items. These extra fees, including shipping charges and taxes, may make online shopping even more expensive than the other way of making purchases. Unless a person intends to buy a large consignment of goods, the final cost may unnecessarily overburden the buyer.

The buyer must be computer literate and capable of following the given online shopping guidelines to make a successful transaction. This, therefore, means that not just anyone has the pleasure of enjoying the comfort of Online Shopping.

Another demerit of online shopping is the delivery risk. When one makes a request, they have to pay first. Then, they wait for what they ordered. Waiting could be an everlasting exercise. Unexpected accidents on the way or even a mistake in labeling the item could lead to its disappearance. The customer could lose their money as well or get a refund after an exceedingly long period (Jessica, “Disadvantages of online shopping”).

In conclusion, Online shopping is the most entertaining way to makes purchases of all kinds, ranging from home appliances, food, clothing, and even industrial materials for product manufacturing. This process is hassle free, hence, it allows people to find purchases without making tedious queues in shops and stores.

In spite of the enormous benefits that online shopping offers, people ought to be extra-careful while placing orders for commodities. This is quite important in respect of the security of their confidential information they may give in order to make any transactions. That means that online shopping is not as safe as it is convenient to use (Online.buying, “Disadvantages of Online Shopping”).