Online shopping can be tricky this Diwali sale

Online shopping is not only about big discounts and the best deals. There are many pitfalls that may spoil your shopping experience. Here are the dos and don'ts to give you the best shopping deal.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Discounts have never been bigger ever, than what online shoppers are bagging this festive season. Price discounts by as much as up to 80 percent on some products would have been unimaginable before this. Flipkart, Amazon India, Snapdeal, not just these big players, even the smaller ones are offering discounts on the vast range of products like gadgets, clothing, footwear, home furnishing etc.

Some of you may burn fingers because of ignorance or lack of experience of shopping online. Here are a few tips to keep you the best shopping experience online:

1. Pay safe and go for the Cash on Delivery model: Due to huge demand of a particular product or brand, the stock may get depleted and sold out fast. Even after booking a product, there is no guarantee that the product you have booked will be delivered to you. So play safe with the COD option. Pay only when the delivery man knocks at your door.

2. Online coupons, cash-back offers and comparisons: It is best to shop with online coupons, which you can find from sites like like Cashkaro or DesiDime. These sites also offer comparison on product prices. In case you don't have coupons, it is advisable to use a specific bank debit/ card to avail the cash back offers or discounts. Using a credit card to get discounts and not paying the bill on time may set you back by more than the discount you would have availed. than just going by what the site is offering.

3. Quality can be compromised. It is these times, that manufacturers or suppliers try to pass of defective products. Think twice before hitting the 'pay' button.

4. The price tag of the product keeps changing. The money charged from you in Cash of Delivery option may be more than what promised in the cart. Keep a screen shot of the finally payment gateway reflecting the cost of each item. And check before you pay.

5. Long delivery periods: The delivery of a product from some of the sites may take more than ten days or more. 

6. Follow-up for reimbursements: Some smaller sites are not very organised in reimbursing the money for a product that got canceled. You may have to follow it up again and again.

And finally, learn as you shop. Online shopping is a relatively new concept in India. Frequent shopping will only turn you into a seasoned online shopper.

Also Watch: Don't get duped: Dos and don'ts of online shopping