Online Shopping mistakes | Shopping Tips and Hacks | Tips To Stay Away From Scam | Clothing Hacks while Shopping | Lifestyle Hacks | Money Saving Tips While Shopping

We all love online shopping. In this era, people feel more comfortable buying things online than going and purchasing them offline. while the ability to buy pretty much anything you want from the comfort of your own home presents incredible benefits, it can also have certain pitfalls like overspending of your money, falling in certain scams.

I am a lover of online shopping and I always take a few precautions and follow some hacks to nullify the situation of being in regret or scammed. Today I will be pointing out the common mistakes you need to avoid while shopping online. Also I will be giving out some tips or hacks that can make your whole experience more satisfying.

1) Choosing the wrong size for your outfit -

Choosing the right size for your clothes or shoes has always been tricky and by luck process. But sometimes we still end up getting a size smaller or larger than the actual one.

To avoid this, here are a few tips you can follow -

1. While purchasing jeans make sure you always check the hip size along with your waist size. In case they mismatch, buy the product that matches with your hip size rather than your waist. This will help you to dismiss the chances of the jeans not to fit your thigh or hip area.

2. For trousers or formal pants choose a size larger than your hip size. This really gives you a good classy look and also no more worries about the panty lines being visible. In case your waist is loose you can use a belt to hold it or else just alter it from a tailor.

3. For flowy skirts just go with your waist size. But for pencil skirts apply the same tip mentioned above for the formal trousers.

4. For Kurtis or tops always buy one size larger than your actual bust size. Especially if you have some tummy this trick will help in hiding your oversized belly.

5. For blouses or crop tops always purchase the one that exactly matches your bust size.

6. For men, if you have a heavy tummy go for regular fit rather than slim fit formal shirts. Also when it’s about T-shirts always buy a size larger than your usual size so that it doesn't accentuate your tummy making you look more fat.

7. For trousers or jeans, men with heavy thighs should follow the same rule of buying according to their hip size. While others can simply choose depending on their waist size.

2) Not checking the size chart -

It’s not necessary that if you have S size for one brand then it should be the same for another. Many of us always make this mistake while ordering and then receive an ill-fitting cloth or shoe.

Every brand has its own size chart which usually differs from other brands, For example, Mango, Zara, etc has a size chart designed according to European body type while Ajio, Fab India, Biba, etc are designed based on Indian body shapes. Hence both might have huge differences in their size charts.

Also, I have noticed some glitches in the size charts for some brands on Myntra, Amazon, and some other marketplaces where many sellers sell their products. To avoid buying the wrong size it’s better to visit that brand's personal website to check for their correct size chart.

3) Not checking what the model is wearing -

When it comes to purchasing clothes online, all shopping sites like Myntra, H&M, Ajio, etc mentions or provides a description of what the model is wearing. We usually overlook this information.

But trust me guys, this is something you should definitely check before buying any clothing. This helps you to get an exact picture of how it would look on you if you have almost similar size measurements as that of the model.

4) Not reading customer reviews -

Buying things without reading the customer reviews can be your biggest mistake. Many times people go and check for the reviews only after receiving a bad or damaged product. And if that’s something which cannot be returned then all the money you spent is wasted.

By reading the testimonials of what other online users have experienced after buying the product or using a particular website, you get a fair idea of the quality of the product and reliability of that particular website.

5) Not checking the seller rating or shopping from unreliable sites -

For websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, etc where you find a huge list of retailers selling their products it’s always important to check for the seller rating. One product is sold by many sellers at different prices.

Fetching a product based on the seller rating can give you an assurance of receiving a good quality defect-free product.

Similarly, another major risky affair is purchasing from unreliable or suspicious sites. You might not get what you ordered or you might get a substandard product. You might also risk your personal and Credit Card details being misused. Hence stay away from sites that

• Sells products at a very cheap rate.

• Assures to give expensive free gifts or cashback when signed up to their sites.

• Selling products that are hard to find on other websites.

• Not providing a COD option.

Tip -> Always buy from websites that are secured ie it has 'https' and not 'Http'. In addition to it, you need to also confirm that the payment transaction page is also secured and is having https as its primary protocol.

6) Not checking the return policy -

Most of us might have had this harrowing experience of receiving damaged or unfit dresses and shoes but then not able to return it because we never checked the retailers return policy. Right? Hence, it's really essential that you, especially during this pandemic.

This helps you to know who is financially responsible for the return shipping and what's the time frame in which you can return the item. Some brands or apps might even have a very tedious and lengthy return process which actually makes us feel so pissed off.

So to stay away from such situations it’s always best to take 1-2 mins to read their return policy completely and then proceed with purchasing the product.

7) Using public wi-fi -

Who doesn’t love surfing through the internet on free wifi when you are at malls or cafes. It might seem like a good way to pass the time. But shopping or performing any money transactions via public wifi is not at all recommended.

Information sent via insecure or public connections can be easily compromised by hackers. So, it’s best to either do it once you get back home or through your personal mobile data plan. The same goes for logging into your online bank portal or any other site that uses your important personal information.

8) Not using a credit card to purchase -

I always prefer using my credit card for online shopping as it seems to be a much safer option than my debit card. Even if my card gets hacked or falls into the wrong hands, I need not worry about getting access to my bank account or personal money.

Trying to get that cash back lost from your personal bank account can be much more difficult, and it may even require closing your account.

Save yourself from this scenario by getting a low-limit credit card to use for online shopping, and paying it off each month.

Tip - > Get a credit card from a different bank rather from your same salary or main base branch. This was it won’t be linked to your main account.

9) Not comparing the prices -

We all fall for the amazing discounts and offers we get on various sites. But have you ever tried comparing your products' prices with different websites??

This is actually a huge miss from your side. I have always saved a few pennies by utilizing thick hacks. I always check for a particular product if it’s available on other websites at a more discounted price.

This tip also sometimes helps in getting certain items or sizes which were out of stock on other websites. Isn’t that great? So whenever you find your favorite outfit of a particular brand, check it on their personal or other websites! Who knows you might end up saving some extra money!!

10) Not utilizing the cashback apps -

Today you have a plethora of online shopping websites and opportunities. But what makes online shopping more loved are the coupons and discounts you get. Recently I came across a few apps that offer cashback for all the purchases you make through their portal.

One such most popular and trusted apps are the CashKaro and Letyshop. I have personally use the Cashkaro and have actually earned quite a lot of cash back whenever I shopped online.

I would definitely recommend you to try out these apps to save more money while shopping online.

Download App -> Cashkaro App for Saving some Extra Money

Online shopping is no rocket science. It really provides you with many options at a very discounted price than that available in the market. All you need to do is to avoid the above-mentioned mistakes and be a smart online shopper. Next time you shop, keep these tips in mind and have a safe and hustle free online shopping experience!!