Safety tips for shopping online

The global response to the current COVID-19 pandemic have led to a decline in the global economy, with the majority of businesses, big or small, that run through physical stores being the most affected.

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This trend shows clear signs that people are moving online to buy essentials instead of going out to avoid getting infected. A report said that Southeast Asia’s e-commerce industry is the biggest factor for its growth as it grew from a value of US$5.5 billion in 2015 to US$38 billion in 2019. Now, the sector is on track to exceed US$150 billion by 2025.

One should definitely expect the numbers to be higher than the original prediction as people right now, especially in the Philippines, are staying at home. However, despite the convenience of online shopping, scams, identity theft, and other cyber-crimes can still happen.

Buying online for food, clothes, and essential items from people outside of e-commerce websites need to be approached with caution as a consumer can never be too careful. J&T Express, the delivery courier in Southeast Asia, gave some of their own tips on how to safely shop online.

1. Check Legitimacy – Of course, you have to verify if the person you are in contact with is a legitimate seller. Check if the person has already sold those items to other customers, look if there are reviews about that person and their product. Also, make sure that you are in constant contact with that person until you have the product you bought.
2. Protect Your Data – Ensure that all of your personal information is protected from email, contact number, and especially financial details. As mentioned identity theft is a pretty common cyber-crime and they would use the personal information you give out to gain access to your bank accounts and steal your money. 
3. Beware of too good to be true Sales – You probably have received emails, texts, ads, and other messages showing deals that seem too good to be true. Well, the most powerful defense against these kinds of scams in online shopping is common sense. Beware of those messages may contain malware that’s dangerous for your devices or it leads to your personal information getting stolen.
4. Have Contingency Plans – Despite ticking off all the boxes that show that you are in contact with a trustworthy and reliable online seller, you can never make sure that you will get your package until it is actually in your possession. So, save receipts and confirmation letters to show authentication of your purchase, and make sure that you have contact with the seller and that person responds immediately to you. If all else fails to approach the right authorities to help you address the situation.

One of the most important in the process of buying a product is the delivery of the package, and the best way to make sure that part runs smoothly is making sure you have a trustworthy delivery courier.

To ensure the safe delivery of your package, you would need the best courier to deliver your products for you. J&T Express, the e-commerce delivery in Southeast Asia, offer their services with fast deliveries and affordable rates! They also ensure the safety of your products with real-time tracking for you and your customers, as well as, provide insurances and other safety precautions for it!

J&T Express is dedicated to helping local online businesses grow by providing quality delivery services. Today, they have over 400 branches across the Philippines.