Online shopping can be fun and even addictive, but it is also tricky and challenging. Cases of fraud and parcels lost during delivery have marred people’s experiences in buying online.

“Indonesian customers are still worried that what they order may not be the same as what they receive,” said Jakob Deli of Unick Toys. “They’re afraid they might be fooled by vendors with fake, used or damaged items.”

Jakob said postal delivery services in Indonesia also were still not completely secure.

“Even we, vendors, are afraid our items will get lost or damaged during delivery,” he said. “After all, an online business is a matter of trust, so we have to try our best to minimize any possible risk.”

Online shopper Cut Fika Lutfi has shifted to tried and true sites such as www.amazon.com after having some bad experiences.

“A site like Amazon has a good reputation. It even gave me discounts for late delivery,” she said.

Another shopper Ayu Martha said she stuck to online shops with

a good reputation to avoid credit card fraud. “Well-known sites usually use the latest online security measures, so we don’t have to worry that our personal or credit card details will fall into the wrong hands,” Ayu said. “However, for local online shops, it’s safer for me to pay under the bank transfer or COD [cash on delivery] schemes.”

Under the bank transfer scheme, you transfer the purchase amount directly into the vendor’s bank account. COD is one of the safest ways because it allows you to make the payment when the shop’s courier delivers your orders to your home.

PayPal has also become a hot pick among online shoppers. Through Paypal, your credit card information is made secure, as your PayPal account can be used to pay for online transactions.

This way, you don’t have to leave a “credit card trail” through several sites. PayPal guarantees the safety of your card details, even giving a channel for complaints within 45 days of payment if you don’t receive an item or if the item you purchased differs significantly from the description.

To get a Paypal account, you must first register on www.paypal.com. For beginners, choose the “personal” account. PayPal will charge your credit card a specified amount as part of the verification process.

If you are new to online shopping, the steps below might give you some ideas on how to order online.

While visiting your desired online shop, choose and write down what you want to order. Some websites may provide you with a shopping cart or an order form to make shopping more convenient.

Choose the method of payment that you prefer, whether credit card, bank transfer, cash on delivery (COD) or PayPal.

Make your order by email, SMS or telephone, as instructed by the sites.

The vendor will call you back or reply your message to verify your order. They will inform you about the shipping period and the details of payment.

After you make the payment, you will have to confirm it to the vendor so he or she can deliver your order.

The following tips could help ensure your online shopping experience stays enjoyable.

Make sure you know who the vendor is; how much the shipping will cost; how long the delivery period is and who to contact.

Learn the shop’s terms and agreements, as well as your rights.

Be alert to the vendor’s response to your orders. A professional vendor will give you a fast response and offer good explanations about the products. Do a little investigating of the site’s reputation using search engines like Google. See if you can find testimonials on the site from other shoppers. If you often shop from Multiply members, you can get yourself updated about blacklisted sellers at www.indonesiaonlineshop.multiply.com.

Buy in small quantities at first if you’re new to the shop.

— JP/Dian Kuswandini

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