With the holiday sales starting soon, it’s easy to get caught up trying to catch a good deal or making sure you get a gift in time. Before clicking ‘pay now’, follow our tips to ensure you have a positive shopping experience.
1. Do your research
Whether buying online or instore, do your research. Shop around and ensure that a sale really is a bargain.
Read product reviews, but don’t just look at reviews on the business’s own website or social media. Check independent review platforms or other online forums and from multiple sources.
Signs a review can be fake include:
Read the terms and conditions of your purchase and ensure you understand any fees you’ll be charged if you cancel or change your order.
- a spike in highly positive or negative reviews over a short period of time
- multiple reviews written from the same email or IP address
- similar reviewers’ names
- generic reviews without specific detail about the business or product
- reviews written in similar language as other reviews for the same business or product.
2. Be scams aware
When buying a product or service online, always check the website is secure, and screenshot or save any documentation, receipts or confirmation emails.
Online shopping scams often involve scammers pretending to be legitimate online sellers, either with a fake website that looks like a legitimate trader’s site, or a fake ad on a genuine retailer’s site.
If the advertised price of a good or service looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you have any doubts, don’t go ahead with the deal.
3. Check delivery timeframes
Before you make a purchase, check delivery timeframes, including Christmas cut-off dates.
Be aware of possible delays and always give yourself plenty of time to ensure the gift arrives in time.
4. Be cautious with overseas websites
Only buy from websites that are well known, have a good reputation and display clear processes for solving problems. You have the same rights buying from an Australian business or any online business that is trading in Australia. If a business is overseas, you may experience some practical difficulties getting a refund, repair or replacement for your product.
5. Understand your rights
If you don’t get what you paid for with a product or service, you have rights. This applies even when an item is on sale.
Always check the store’s returns policy. Refunds aren’t always an automatic right. Businesses don’t have to give you a refund if you change your mind, buy the wrong size, or buy the wrong colour. Some businesses still offer refunds in these situations. This is their choice to provide good customer service, and not a legal requirement.
You’re entitled to a refund, repair or replacement if a consumer guarantee isn’t met – e.g. if an item is faulty or didn’t match the description given online.
If you experience a problem with a product or service you buy, you should always talk to the business first. Most traders want to do the right thing and fix any problems for their customers.
Read more about your consumer rights on SA.GOV.AU.
