Don't get duped: Dos and don'ts of online shopping

These are the key tips to remember while bagging best deals from Flipkart, Amazon India and Snapdeal's this online festival sale:

Zee Media Bureau/Archana Khatri Das

New Delhi: The discounts bonanza in online shopping starts today! The major online marketplaces in India Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon India are competing to give the best deals to you. But do you know, that it is also the time to be safe while clicking the 'buy' button than be sorry?

Here are the key things to keep in mind  and make shopping a satisfying experience this festive season:

1. Online shopping like offline shopping demands time: Shop with lots of patience and time at hand. Don't get floored by the discount offered. If you plan to buy clothes, home furnishing, kitchen items etc, screen the picture for quality.

The picture of a product, which is always shot in a flood of light, if looked carefully, does give away an idea on the quality of the material used.

Also look at the brand of the company. It would be wise to take a single gloried review on the product with a pinch of salt. It may have been concocted one by someone with a self-motive. It is advisable to look at the wide range of products that the brand is offering, and the quality or reviews on them.

In clothing, be careful of choosing the size, because a 'medium' size for one brand could be a 'small' size for the other.

During the festive offers, the option of 'cash on Delivery' may not be available, or 'no return' policy may apply. So be careful before you buy. 

2. Watch out for phishing and malware: During the ongoing online festivals, spammers become more active, cluttering the inbox with spam embedded with trojans, Keyloggers and other malware or malicious software.

You may receive a promotional and marketing material. And if you would click on the messages or download attachments that come with the mails, the embedded virus could set-off, offering hackers access to personal details including confidential bank account or credit card information. In the past, the instances of phishing have spiked up 20% during the predwali sale.

3. Use Comparison Websites: You would find a couple of reliable websites in the market, which offer a price comparison of the product on different online marketplaces. Using such websites, you can choose the store which offers the best price for the product you wish to buy. 

So getting the best deal does not only mean the best price, but the best buying experience!