Online Shopping

Advantages of Online Shopping:

• Products can be found which are not available locally
• Online sites are fast and efficient for 24/7 unlike stores which  are opened and closed at a fixed time
• Ability to compare prices and features of a product from one website to another
• No parking woes as there is no transport needed and this saves on gas
• Can be done at home and at own pace without any rush or crowd to interfere
• Saves time without having to go out to shop
• No long queues as purchasing of items is usually paid through internet bank transfer
• Convenient for everyone, especially working adults who rarely have time to shop 

Disadvantages of Online Shopping:

• Inability to physically check the items which may not meet one's taste or requirements
• Inability to negotiate the price and payment terms in some local stores
• Items ordered online may arrive late or are sometimes on backorder without getting informed due to lack of face-to-face interaction
• Not knowing if the online site is safe and legitimate to shop at as certain phishing sites may exist and may be prone to getting cheated
• Having to pay more due to shipping costs since most items are usually transported from overseas

However, what is the issue here?

Issue:
Dealing with credit cards and bank transfer

 is probably the main and common issue in online shopping, as it involves a bank account and one's future at stake when safety precautions are not put to practice. Security is one of the main concerns. Online shoppers fear that their privacy or personal information may be revealed and get stolen by hackers. This is prone to young teenagers who have a limited knowledge of financial transactions. This usually occurs in phishing websites which online shoppers are unaware of.

Tips on Online Shopping:

• Only deal with online sites which use secure transaction system involving credit card
• Always check terms and conditions (guarantee, currency used and refund policy) before purchasing the item
• Shop through reputable online shopping sites
• Familiarize with the online site's purchasing processes

Personally, I think that online shopping can be safe as it depends on the where one shops at. Since online shops may exist locally or internationally in websites,  I prefer to shop locally online such as blogshops, which are commonly engaged by teenagers these days. Most of the reputable blogshops are known and third party reviews help me in making my online shopping spree easier as I know I can trust that particular online shop or otherwise. What about you? :)