The joy and pain of online shopping
From clothes and shoes, groceries and food items, medicine, hair and beauty products, all you need is to contact service providers online and order for what you want and it will be delivered to you no matter the distance.
A recent Mastercard study on consumer spending revealed that nearly four out of five (79 per cent) surveyed consumers in Kenya are shopping more online since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic.
During the lockdown period, more business owners went online to keep their businesses afloat and make a living following Covid-19 safety measures.
Jackline Akinyi Onuko says she has shopped online countless times. “Online shopping is convenient since you do it at your comfort.
I have shopped for dresses, shoes, bags, plates, phones and even a home theater online.
It’s an easy way to reach your seller since you don’t have to walk to the stores,” says Jackline.
However, there are some disadvantages that come with it. “You can incur losses in the process of delivery.
Also, trust issues can cause you migraines since you may not know the seller, hence before you receive what you ordered, you will always be in constant fear of what if they fail to deliver.
I remember a time I ordered a nice dress from Turkey as well as some kitchen ware from the UK.
It took forever for the goods to arrive, like one and a half years before I got a call informing me that they are at the port.
I had given up on them and every time I remembered the amount of money I had coughed to buy them — Sh30,000, I would cry because in my mind, I thought I was duped. But thank God that was not the case,” she explains.
Be cautious
Ceciliar Kwamboka, a mother of two says she is both an online seller and buyer.
“It hasn’t been a walk in the park. I remember making an order for some shoes, but after sending the seller Sh2,000 she went offline till today marking more than a year.
A friend of mine was also conned Sh9,000 after ordering for goods online. But since it is said experience is the best teacher, I believe that every journey has a destination,” says Kwamboka.
She offers: “I started my online business in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and it has served me well.
I love every bit of it having made me meet and interact with different categories of people. I deliver to my clients whether known or unknown to me.
My business principle is order, pay you will have your goods delivered. Let’s embrace honesty and be mindful of others doing business in this field.”
For Marion Wanjiru, the idea of online shopping comes with a lot of mixed reactions. “Online shopping is a no for me.
Most of the things are overrated. What you order versus what you are two different things,” she says.
Sheila Mmboga, a financial literacy expert says in this pandemic, global e-commerce economy is expected to grow as online shopping becomes a marketplace with businesses adapting to capture more of online sales.
However, while online shopping is a convenient and easy way for consumers to compare prices, find coupons, check reviews among others, it is important to be cautious and do due diligence.
“Online shopping has become a suitable and more secure way of buying goods and services with less human contact in a bid to fight Covid-19.
It saves time as you can shop anywhere in the world from your couch. No need to travel to buy products thus saving on time, transport, avoiding standing in line, particularly around the holidays, when stores are busy and packed with customers,” she says.
With online shopping, it is also easy to compare prices or products from different sellers before making a purchase decision.
“It has also brought about diversity as sellers are able to showcase a variety of products without being limited by shelf space as it would be in traditional stores.
Buyers are also able to choose a variety of products and services under one roof —internet.
There is also increased market share. Businesses are not limited to their geographical location,” explains Mmboga.
The cons
However, there are also disadvantages with online shopping. One is the risk of fraud.
“When shopping online, one is easily exposed to phishing scams, credit card scams, hacking, identity theft, bogus websites or counterfeit products.
Some fraudulent vendors may accept payments, but refuse to send products and vice versa,” Mmboga explains.
She adds: “There is also difficulty in correcting or rectifying an incorrect order, especially if the product is bought from another continent.
Some sellers make it extra hard for you to return their merchandise or get a refund.
Delay in delivery of the goods, especially when it involves shipping is also another disadvantage.”
Sometimes, the pictures you see online may not match the real product or the size you see online may not match the actual size.
In addition, some websites and apps are complicated to navigate through hence it can be difficult to get the accurate details about a product.
There is also the lack of human touch. “Sometimes you may need someone to show you how to operate an item or ask questions, which is impossible with online shopping.
This has resulted to most people making blind purchases, which they later regret,” she says.
To shop online safely, Mmboga says you need to protect your shopping gadgets against malware by regularly updating your antivirus programme.
“Fraudsters will always give you something small in exchange of access to your data such as freebies.
Secure your payment systems. If you don’t want to provide your card details directly, you may use trusted third party website to make payments.
Always review your bank statements to ensure there are no fraudulent transactions and if there is any, raise alarm quickly,” she explains.
“On the other hand, use strong passwords and always choose the option of locking your credit/debit card details to ensure the data doesn’t remain stored online.
Ensure the site is legitimate and secure before clicking on it. Always perform due diligence, especially if you are wary of a site.
Avoid offers that seem to be too good to be true and always check on the reputation of the merchant,” Mmboga advises.
