| Shopping online is fun and a great way to save money from the comfort of your own home, however this fun can soon be spoilt if you happen to buy from the wrong store. So how do you differentiate a good store from a bad one? Well to help you figure this out, there is simple checklist to follow:
Check 1 - Does the website display adequate contact details?
An email address is not seen as sufficient. If there is no geographical address on the sellers website then you should think about leaving. Even businesses being run from home should have an address. Beware of foreign companies using localised domain extensions such .us, .ca, .co.uk, .com.au etc. It is important to know who you are dealing with but also where they are based so you know if they are within your countires legal jurisdiction.
Check 2 - Has the store had any reviews?
A simple search, with the 'store name' and the word 'review' right after it, will quickly show up any results. You can then evaluate whether their performance is up to standard or not. Be careful when there are very bad reviews along with some highly recommended reviews, as more often than not the store owners themselves have tried to balance their score (yes this does happen!). Rarely would a happy customer visit an external review site to make a compliment, thats not to say it doesnt happen, but it is very rare. The more usual scenario would be an unhappy customer, wanting to advise others to avoid the store in question.
Check 3 - Does the store have a returns policy?
Make sure the store has a returns policy. This is a legal requirement in many countries, so if they dont diplay this they may in fact be breaking the law. If your country has distance selling regulations then you will most probably still have a right to send goods back even if there is nothing wrong with them, regardless of the stores policy.
Check 4 - Is the site secure?
Make sure the website page where you enter your credit card details is properly encrypted. A browser padlock should be visible and the url should contain 'https://'. Be careful if the store accepts only Paypal, make sure you know who is receiving the payment. Fraudsters are using paypal to accept money then dissapear! Always pay with a credit card you know you are covered with, not all credit card providers offer cover and you will not be covered with debit card or bank transfer.
Check 5 - Is the offer to good to be true?
Don't be too tempted if you see your favourite designer labels selling for far less than the mainstream retailers. There is unfortunately an increase in counterfeit junk being imported and then sold off to vulnerable consumers. We all know the saying "If it look's to good to be true then it probably is" - so we should use it! | 
