A consumer rights expert has shared a habit people should never do while shopping online – and it’s common among many of us.
Online shopping offers many benefits including convenience, the lack of crowds, no potential pressure from staff or salespeople, and much more. However, it also brings its own set of challenges, too.
While many of us are quick to splash the cash online, it can leave us open to issues like scams and frauds, data theft and more. With that in mind, a consumer expert at Which? has shared five things she’d never do when making an online purchase – and some may surprise you.
The video, which was shared on TikTok by Which?, was captioned: “These are the five online shopping rules that our consumer rights experts live by.”
Speaking directly to the camera, the expert began: “Five things I would never do when shopping online as a consumer expert.
Reconsider your nominated safe place
“I would never select a safe place or a nominated neighbour for your delivery if you’re not at home. Giving a courier these permissions drastically reduces your rights if something goes wrong and it will be harder to get a refund or replacement from the retailer.”
This is a very common practice for some people, especially those who have little flexibility in their job and have to spend the majority of their day outside their home.
Use your credit card
She continued: “I would never pay for goods costing £100 or more with a debit card if credit card is an option. With a credit card, you get extra protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act which makes your provider jointly liable with the retailer if something goes wrong.”
The Consumer Credit Act of 1974 was established “for the protection of consumers” and offered “a new system, administered by the Director General of Fair Trading, of licensing and other control of traders concerned with the provision of credit, or the supply of goods on hire or hire-purchase, and their transactions, in place of the present enactments regulating moneylenders, pawnbrokers and hire-purchase traders and their transactions; and for related matters”.
Think twice about extended warranties
Another common habit the expert would avoid is purchasing an extended warranty offered by a retailer. She explained: “I would never buy an extended warranty from the retailer. They rarely offer good value for money and Which? research found that one-off repairs can be cheaper than the cost of a warranty.
“Plus, your faulty goods rights under consumer law cover you for up to six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and up to five in Scotland.”
Shop around for discount codes
The final two habits on her list included never buying anything before shopping around for the cheapest price and checking for discount codes.
She advised checking price comparison websites like Google Shopping, Price Runner or Price Spy.
Check returns policies
Finally, she advised shoppers to always check a retailer’s returns policy before making a purchase because many companies charge fees for returns, with the fees not always “made clear” to shoppers on the product pages or during the checkout process.