I am addicted to online shopping!
source: http://www.ifoundries.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ist2_6184912-online-shopping-xxl.jpg
until now, i have bought online: several clothes, shoes, plush toy, books, CDs, small goods (accessories, sunnies, etc), birthday gifts for my friends who live interstate/abroad, even i bought my $1000 laptop, $500 camera and the latest one… iPod touch online.
without doubt, i am highly addicted to online shopping >.<
if you ask me the reason why i became addicted to online shopping, i don’t have any particular reason.
hang on, let me think for a sec… here’s my answer:
1. i have 24 hours internet connection at home
2. i have my debit mastercard with me (i hate using credit card for shopping since it gets me uncontrolled of my money)
3. i seldom have a chance to go out shopping
4. i can’t describe it, but there is something thrills me everytime i finally received the items that i bought online (this one is the one that makes me addicted!)
so, do i always love what i bought online? ermmm, not really. i often:
1. get pissed off because of the quality is not like what i expected, some items were extremely rubbish T.T
2. especially for clothes and shoes, they often don’t fit me well!
3. expected to get my item on a certain day because i want to use/wear it on an event, but then i got the item reaaallly late so i couldn’t use it on that day.
do these reason make me stop? NO
i admit i was often disappointed by my online shopping experience, but most of the time, i found real bargain from online shopping. For example, the laptop i bought for $1000 from an American seller was actually about $2000 in Australia. so i save 50% off the RRP! so does with my camera (i found it better to buy electronics from foreign country, i don’t know why, but electronics are much more expensive in Australia)
and my latest 8GB iPod touch! i bought it from Dick Smith Electronics website when they have 2-days special deals last month for iPod touch. so the RRP shown in Apple website for 8GB iPod touch is $268 (although you can get it cheaper from some electronics shop like JB Hi-Fi or Dick Smith), and i got it for…..$218 including free delivery and bonus wall charger and mobile charger! a real bargain!
$218 8GB iPod touch package-online deal only from Dick Smith
so here’s some tips from me (i hope it’ll help, i have bought things online since 2008):
1. if you are buying from eBay or similar sites, look at seller’s reputation and feedback, make sure other previous buyers didn’t have any hassle dealing with this seller. pay more attention on seller’s term and condition and any other policy such as refund and return policy.
2. beware of knock-off and fake products! especially if you buy things like electronics or designer’s handbags. Usually the seller will put more than 1 picture of the item, if it’s only one, and not from the actual product (so it might be taken from somewhere else) beware! for handbags, i found a forum which can help you authenticate and make sure the bag you are about to buy is genuine: The Purse Forum
Here’s a nice video about knock-off ipod:
3. As you pay online, make sure the web is secured (look at the web address, it should start with https instead of http), use paypal is better than exposing your credit card number online.
4. if you never purchased anything onnline before, try by buying some cheap item first before buying something expensive (who knows that your address is hard to find).
5. lastly, beware! online shopping may be addicted!
I Do (Not) Need to Buy That! 
