Buying online means you can get what you need in just a few clicks, without having to visit a store. However, it can be difficult to verify the reliability of a website, and there are many scams out there. Here s a guide to help you make the right checks before buying online.

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1 Consult consumer reviews

Consumers often head for well-known sites to minimize the chances of being scammed, but it s possible that you re interested in a site you re not familiar with. In this case, it s essential to consult the reviews of consumers who have already bought from this site.

• Type the name of the site into your search engine and consult the various reviews.
• If you notice that the site has collected more negative reviews than positive ones, it s not advisable to go ahead with your purchase, as you risk a bad experience of your own.

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2. Check for legal notices and general terms and conditions of sale

Websites are obliged to publish legal notices and General Terms and Conditions of Sale.

• Thanks to the legal notices, you can consult crucial information about the company, such as the address of the registered office, the registration number and the company s contacts.
• The GSC establishes a legal framework between buyer and seller.

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3. check the product

Not being able to try, touch or see the product you want to buy can be a disadvantage.

• Read all the product features described by the seller. Be suspicious if essential details are missing.
• Read consumer reviews of the product you want. Today, many e-commerce sites offer consumers the opportunity to illustrate their review with photos of the product, which can make the review more reliable.

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4. check the shopping cart before making payment

Once the basket has been filled, a few details remain to be checked before payment.

• Check the composition of the basket and make sure that no items have been added that you don t want.
• Check the quantities of your order: if the basket shows a higher price than you ve selected, check whether a duplicate item has been selected.

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5. secure payment

When all the checks have been carried out and there s nothing to report, proceed to secure payment.

• When you pay on a secure page, you can see that the url of the "http://" page changes to "https://. The addition of the "s" stands for "Secure".
• The merchant site may redirect you to your banking application to validate your purchase.

Once you ve made your purchase, you should receive a confirmation e-mail giving you all the delivery details for your order. Keep a record of the confirmation e-mail and the order number, and check that the amount debited from your account corresponds to your order.

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