Online Shopping Articles

 

Online Shopping Boom

 

Every year more and more people in the UK are experiencing a new way to purchase goods and services by connecting to the internet and joining millions of online shoppers. Choosing anything from ABBA to Zebra fish, insurance, dating, gifts and holidays, the online shopper is spoilt for choice. Buying from abroad has never been easier as most companies have a website offering their goods or services to foreign customers and are displayed in the universal language of English.

Goods sold online are usually far cheaper online as the overhead costs are lower and this can be passed on to the consumer. The only cost that would push the price up will be the delivery charge. This would have to be taken into consideration when buying either online or purchasing locally. Buying multiple items from the same shop online can keep the cost of delivery down as only one charge is applied. There are so many benefits from shopping online compared to travelling to the high street shops, i.e. traffic jams, parking spaces, walking from shop to shop and then going back to the first one you looked at, fuel saving, wear and tear on your car, creating less pollution, parking fees, refreshments and not to mention the rain, having more time for yourself, carrying bags, queues etc.


New research reveals that millions of Britons used their mobile phones to access the internet in 2006, making it easier for anyone with the new mobile phone technology to shop online anytime, anyplace and from anywhere. Christmas time is the busiest period for online shopping and we are seeing a yearly increase in the amount of people buying gifts and presents. A bit of advice for online Christmas shoppers is to make sure you buy your presents early as many items can soon be sold out and some parcels may be delivered too late or not delivered at all. The online travel market sector is also booming and very busy at Christmas time, when people are choosing their summer vacations early and grabbing the cheapest prices as they will slowly increase on a weekly basis, so don’t forget to book up early.


More women shop online than men do which is not surprising as women love shopping and women who work with computers in offices will spend a certain amount of time shopping online rather than work duties. Surprisingly, price does not seem to be the ultimate factor regarding online purchases. Surveys have shown that money back guarantees, ease of navigation and better security within websites are top of the list, which all go towards making a better online shopping experience. Will online shopping ever take over from the high street retailers, let’s wait and see!

Keep your online shopping experience a safe one

 

Shopping online offers lots of benefits that you won’t find shopping in a store or by mail. The Internet is always open — seven days a week, 24 hours a day — and bargains can be numerous online. With a click of a mouse, you can buy an airline ticket, book a hotel, send flowers to a friend, or purchase your favorite fashions. But sizing up your finds on the Internet is a little different from checking out items at the mall.

If you’re buying items from an online retailer or auction website, OnGuard Online offers this advice to help you make the most of your shopping experience:

  • Know who you’re dealing with. Anyone can set up shop online under almost any name. Confirm the online seller’s physical address and phone number in case you have questions or problems. If you get an email or pop-up message while you’re browsing that asks for financial information, don’t reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email.
  • Know exactly what you’re buying. Read the seller’s description of the product closely, especially the fine print. Words like “refurbished,” “vintage,” or “close-out” may indicate that the product is in less-than-mint condition, while name-brand items with “too good to be true” prices could be counterfeits.
  • Know what it will cost. Check out websites that offer price comparisons and then, compare “apples to apples.” Factor shipping and handling — along with your needs and budget — into the total cost of the order. Do not send cash under any circumstances.
  • Pay by credit or charge card. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. Some companies offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some cards may provide additional warranty, return, and/or purchase protection benefits.
  • Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates. Can you return the item for a full refund if you’re not satisfied? If you return it, find out who pays the shipping costs or restocking fees, and when you will receive your order.
  • Keep a paper trail. Print and save records of your online transactions, including the product description and price, the online receipt, and copies of every email you send or receive from the seller. Read your credit card statements as you receive them and be on the lookout for unauthorized charges.
  • Don’t email your financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting financial information like your credit card, checking account, or Social Security number. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your financial information through an organization’s website, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some fraudulent sites have forged security icons.
  • Check the privacy policy. It should let you know what personal information the website operators are collecting, why, and how they’re going to use the information. If you can’t find a privacy policy — or if you can’t understand it, consider taking your business to another site that’s more consumer-friendly.

Getting Out Of Debt

 

Getting out of debt is a goal shared my any people, but it seems like such a hard thing to do. But you can get out of debt of you develop a plan and stick with it. The method for getting out of debt is simple:

  • .
  • Pay any and all extra money on the debt with the highest interest rate.
  • Pay all minimum amounts due on your debts.
  • Set a total monthly amount dedicated to debt repayment

This method will enable you to pay the least amount of interest and pay off your debts as quickly as possible. The secret to paying the least amount of interest possible is to pay extra money toward the one debt with the highest interest rate. You want that high interest debt paid off as soon as possible because it costs you the most in interest charges each month.

The simplest way to pay off your debts in the least amount of time is to set a fixed total payment amount to pay each month. The downfall of many debtors is that they only pay the minimum payments due on each debt. But these minimum payments are designed by the lender to keep you paying that high interest rate for as long as possible. You need to foil their plans. By paying a fixed total amount on your debts each month, as one debt gets paid off, you'll have more money to pay towards the next highest interest debt. This is often called the "snow-ball" effect of debt elimination.

But first you need to determine your ability to pay. If your total payments are already more than you can afford, you're in trouble. You probably need to contact a non-profit credit counselling agency. Next, you must make a commitment to stop getting deeper into debt! Cut up your credit cards or lock them away where you can't easily get them. If you're living a credit-based lifestyle, you'll soon dig a hole that you can't easily climb out of. Stop spending more than you make each and every month. Don't count on future bonuses, tax refunds, inheritances or other windfalls to bail you out.

It's really quite simple: If you make £2500 a month, you can't spend more than £2500 a month! Look for areas to cut back in and purchases you can postpone (or not make at all).

Now, let's examine each step of your debt reduction plan more closely. First, figure out how much in total that you can afford to pay each month toward your debts. The bare minimum should be the total of all your minimum payments for the next month.

You may need to closely scrutinize your spending for the last few months. Identify things you can do without for a while. Put off new purchases and cancel unnecessary subscriptions. Look for every opportunity to free up more money to pay off your debts as soon as possible.

You should even consider pausing your investing for awhile. Think of it this way: Are your investments earning more than the 18-21% you're paying on your credit card debts? If not, you'll "earn" more by repaying your debts instead of investing.

Once you have determined your total monthly debt repayment amount, you need to record each monthly debt that you're paying. Write down the creditor's name, the current balance, and the interest rate that you're paying. Next, on a separate sheet of paper, reorder the debts so that the debt with the highest interest rate is on top of the list.

Now, as each monthly bill comes in, pay the minimum amount due. Subtract that minimum payment amount from your set monthly payment total. After all the bills have been paid for the month, take any money that is left over and pay that amount on the debt at the top of your list (the one with the highest interest rate).

You can make an additional payment this month, or simply save the money to add it to next month's payment. But whatever you do, don't spend it! As each high interest debt is paid off, cross it off your list. But it's absolutely crucial that you keep paying the total monthly amount you set at the beginning. This will speed up your debt repayment and save you hundreds or even thousands of pounds in interest charges on your debts.

Every time another debt is paid off, you have that much more money to pay on the next highest interest debt. This is the aforementioned "snow-ball effect"!
Remember, the two keys to your debt elimination plan are to:

  • Stop getting deeper into debt and...
  • Set your total monthly debt repayment amount and stick to it month after month.

The rest is easy. Before you know it, you'll be debt-free!