China is the number one producer of products sold online. Whether it is through amazon, a separate site, alibaba, or other sites, China, tends to be the maker of most of the products bought and sold online. Many purchases from china are made online because buyers believe items made in China are less expensive and of sufficient quality to other products from other countries. To be safe when purchasing from other countries it is important that you follow the subsequent tips because important personal information could be stolen.
Use Only Reliable Shopping Websites
When purchasing things online from China, only use sites that you know that are reputable. There has been reports that websites have ceased to exist after customers have paid for items. Make sure there is an address for the company, working phone numbers, email, and other relevant contact information. You should also make sure there is a privacy policy, guidance for shipping, and see if they exist with the better business bureau. You can also check to see if they have security labels (version, mcafee, cybertrust), a valid third-party payment tool like PayPal, and that the domain name of the site exists in search engines. You should also only try to use sites that contain “https”.
Be Careful When It Comes to Discount Goods
When purchasing things online from China make sure that the items are of quality and made by a manufacturer you have heard of before. There are many third-party rip off manufacturers that will attempt to sell you an item that may look like the item you want but is nowhere close to that item.
Protect Your Personal Details
Do not click strange emails, links that you do not know where they go to, or any thing that resembles phishing sites. Once you start to purchase or enter personal information (passwords, phone numbers, credit cards, etc) on an untrustworthy or unverified site then you leave yourself susceptible to thieves. You should also refrain from making purchases on places that offer free WI-FI or on public computers. With this said, you should make sure the apps on your phone where you can make purchases are also verified as well.
Shipping & Refunds
Make certain that you select the appropriate shipping and refund choices when purchasing things online from China. When purchasing things online from China, most Chinese companies will opt to ship you items the cheapest way possible. This means it can take up to 2 months for items to be delivered. You should determine whether the products being shipped to you are coming by SAL, AIR, or SURFACE. You should also call or find out what will occur if it gets lost during shipping or whether its refundable, and whether there is a warranty on the product.
Only Use Reliable Payment Tools
When purchasing things online from China it is important to remember to only use legitimate payment methods. So if the company does not accept credit card and only wire transfers it is advisable you do not purchase the product from that company. If you pay with a debit card only or only through a wire transfer and something happens then you are out of that money, as there is no way you can get that money back. In addition, make sure you monitor your credit car account after making the purchase so no other suspicious items are purchased with you account. It should also go without saying that you should keep records of all your purchases.
