Consumer Corner: Nine tips for shopping online for Christmas — and staying within budget 

Consumer corner: Nine tips for shopping online for Christmas

There has never been more choice in the online world to satisfy our shopping desires. Over the last few years online shopping has soared in popularity.

A survey from analytics company Conjura found last year in Ireland the percentage of people who shopped online jumped to 70%. The survey showed that 19% of all retail sales in Ireland were online last year. 

There will no doubt be another surge in online shopping over the coming weeks with Christmas and Black Friday around the corner. It can be extremely easy and tempting to spend a lot of money online especially when we are targeted in places like Facebook and Instagram. 

To help navigate the online shopping universe we have compiled some top tips when shopping online.

One: Know your rights 

You have many rights when buying online but they will differ from when you buy inside the EU to when you buy outside the EU. 

According to the Consumers Association of Ireland buying from a seller within the EU, the transaction is covered by the Consumer Rights Directive which strengthens protections for consumers whether they are shopping on the main street or online. 

However, where the business is located outside the EU, the purchaser will not be able to rely on the protection of the Consumer Rights Directive, so it is important to check the registered postal address of any online business you are dealing with before making your purchase. 

Buying from Britain too is now very different since Brexit so make sure you check the fine print before making a purchase.

Two: Compare prices 

Just because you are shopping online doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around. Keep a note of the prices and websites while you shop around before buying. 

There are some price comparison websites too which are mainly UK based but the Irish versions of the websites could also be offering deals if they pop up on the website. Some comparison websites include PriceRunner and PriceSpy.

Three: Watch the delivery and returns fee 

Before you finalise your purchase check out the delivery charge. Often companies will offer free delivery when you spend a certain amount so it will be worth doing the maths to see if it would be worth increasing your spend to qualify. 

Check out the returns policy too and if there are any fees involved.

Four: Sign up for the emails 

Companies will often send discount codes to their customers who have registered for their email alerts. These can be very useful, often offering discount codes up to 20%. The emails can also often alert you as to when the shop is having a sale. 

You can also keep a note of items you would like to buy and wait to see if they go on sale before buying at full price. Another idea too if you don’t want the email alerts clogging up your email is setting up a second email address so that all the alerts go directly to this email but you still get the benefits of the discount codes.

Five: Act quickly 

If you do see an email from a store having a sale online then act quickly as sizes and items will sell out quickly.

Six: Budget 

Just like you would if you were shopping in the real world it is also worth considering setting a budget for your online shopping. It can be very tempting to overspend online when you are not using physical cash but by budgeting you can ensure that you don’t overspend.

Seven: Make it hard for yourself 

With so much of our lives online now you will often have the option of saving your credit or debit card details so that you don’t have to keep reentering the digits to make a purchase. However, you can make it hard for yourself to ensure you really want the item by forcing yourself off the couch and getting your credit card. 

This small act could be the difference between an unnecessary impulse buy and getting something you’d really like.

Eight: Don’t buy at 2am 

Can’t sleep and you find yourself scrolling through your phone? Or getting in late from a night out and checking out what others have been up to on Instagram? Then an ad hits you for a nice top or face cream and it can be so easy to buy it with the click of a button.

Of course, it’s not a good idea to spend money when you are not thinking straight so save what you are thinking of buying and purchase it the following day instead.

Nine: Second hand 

The second hand and renting world exists online too and there are many sites like eBay and Done Deal where you can pick yourself up some second hand bargains. 

You will often find shops selling ex display items online too and you can pick up great bargains here. Some stores even have specific websites for ex display or even outlet shops.