3 Online Shopping Mistakes That Seniors Should Be Aware Of

Online shopping brings the entire bazaar to your door. Seniors who don’t want to go to the market for shopping often find it convenient to shop online. With online shopping, you may get a chance to buy things as soon as they are launched. However, there are a few challenges that seniors may face when shopping online such as not being able to assess the quality of the product, size issues or variation in taste, etc. and it may result in mistakes. How to avoid such mistakes? Here are 3 mistakes that can cause trouble to senior citizens and ways to avoid such mistakes.

Shopping From Unknown Online Platforms

There are many online shopping platforms available nowadays and they all may not be trustworthy. People shopping through such unknown platforms may put their financial data at risk. In many cases, they send wrong or inferior quality items. Seniors buying products from unknown platforms may find it difficult to return the products if they don’t like them.

There are many trustworthy online and mobile shopping platforms available nowadays. Seniors should consider them for shopping so that if there is any issue they can get proper support and assistance from the service provider.

Not Comparing Products Before Buying

In online shopping, there's a high chance of realizing after purchasing a product that a better option was available at the same price. The biggest challenge of online shopping is to identify the best one among several options. For example, suppose you want to buy a fridge. On searching online you’ll get several fridge options at the same price range. So, what should you do? Before shopping, ascertain your needs and accordingly search for products within your defined criteria. Compare the products based on their features, price, quality and brand image. It will help you choose the best product without getting into a dilemma.

Spending On Unnecessary Things

Online shopping may turn into a binge especially due to targeted marketing and promotion by the companies. Shopping splurges may compel you to spend on unnecessary things and disturb your budget. So, the best way to avoid the shopping craving is to make a list of things that you want to buy before you start online shopping. It is also important to fix the tentative price range for each item on your list to avoid spending over and above your budget.

Lastly, seniors should try to avoid non-returnable items when shopping online. Sometimes the product may not fit your requirements and it may go to waste if it’s non-returnable. Also, it’s always better to check the product reviews and ratings provided on the shopping platform for an informed shopping experience.

The author is an independent financial journalist

(Disclaimer: Views expressed are the author’s own, and Outlook Money does not necessarily subscribe to them. Outlook Money shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.)