At the end of the month, Jess’ mailbox is swamped with packages and his bills have piled up so high he cannot cope with the payments anymore.
Along with the bills are several overdraft notices from the bank for purchases he made although he doesn’t have enough funds in his debit card.
Jess is just one of the many others who got addicted to online shopping.
On an island like Saipan with limited shopping options, online shopping has become very popular among residents.
Over the years, they have become expert bargain hunters and often find great buys from online stores for clothes, electronic items, household needs and anything they need. A lot of shoppers found out that they can still save if they order from online stores although they have to pay for shipping and wait for days or weeks for the items to arrive.
Advantages
Online shopping has advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the advantages:
• 24/7 convenience. Shoppers can place orders anytime of the day or night because the stores are never closed and you don’t have to dress up and go out. You can make purchases in your pajamas and slippers.
• You will be spared from the trouble of scouting for parking spaces, you save gas and time.
• You don’t have to bear aggressive sales persons who breathe down your neck and convince you to buy their products.
• There is no pressure when you shop online. You are your own boss and you can take as much time as you want.
• Online shopping provides you with a wide range of price and product comparison. The internet gives you the option to visit several stores and compare product features and prices before finding what you need. You can also find a wide range of products that are not available in your local stores.
Disadvantages
But like anything else, online shopping has disadvantages.
• First, you lost the enjoyment of going to the store to shop. You don’t have the chance to touch and feel the product you are going to buy. You can ask questions but have to wait for sometime before the seller responds to you, mostly in an automated answer form.
• You have to have access to a computer and fast Internet connection for convenient shopping.
• There is the risk of not knowing whether you are buying from a site that is safe and legitimate, and you have to pay for shipping and handling costs.
• When a product is defective, returning it can cause difficulties and takes too much time than when you buy the product from a physical store.
• You have to pay when you place your order. Payments online is not always safe and there is always the risk of a hacker breaking into the system of the store sites which may compromise your personal data.
• The risk of mishandling of your order during shipping or delivery is always there. Incidents of orders never arriving have been reported, or if they were delivered and somebody stole it from the post office box.
• Risk of online fraud. If you see items offered online that are very cheap or too good to be true, chances are they are not true. You have to watch out for sites that offer unbelievably low-priced items and then shut down when many customers have already sent their payments.
• High shipping costs. When you buy smaller items such as a USB or a pencil, you will still pay high costs for shipping.
• You have to wait for the product to arrive. If you need something right away, online shopping is not the solution.
Warning
Online shopping is addictive. Stick to your budget, and ask yourself several times if you really need an item before clicking on the BUY IT NOW and SUBMIT buttons. Oftentimes, there are items which you don’t really need but because it was on an irresistibly low price you will buy it. Online shops has lots of good bargains as long as you discipline yourself and buy only what you need and can afford to pay for.
