Purchases of technological products through the Internet have become a regular on these dates. The success of the offers and discounts that, on days like the past Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the stores (and not only the online ones) have launched through their web pages, is witness to this.
It seems clear that, over the years, we have lost the fear of shopping online and that this new form of consumption has already installed itself in our lives. And it is that buying online has a lot of advantages : you can select the products you need, even those you cannot find close to home , and receive them wherever you prefer after a few days; You will surely avoid the queues and crowds typical of these dates in physical stores and shopping malls and, perhaps most importantly, you can take advantage of offers, discounts and great deals that you probably will not find anywhere else.
Buying online can be really beneficial, but the truth is that it also carries risks , so it is necessary to take a series of precautions .
Tips for safe online shopping
- Buy on secure web pages. To verify the security of a website you can look at different elements: that the address appears as https: // (instead of http), that next to it the icon of a closed padlock appears, that the page has the acronym SSL (“Secure Socket Layer”) or, even, that belongs to some association or group that promotes consumer protection.
- Verify that the website is known and has a good reputation . How? First of all, you must make sure that the website has a customer service and that you can contact them directly through a phone number, a web form or an email address. It is also usually a guarantee of confidence that the page shows the qualifications and experiences of users who have previously purchased products. In addition, if the page has a profile on a social network, it is helpful to check the number of followers and their comments and check that the content is updated regularly.
- Find and review the privacy and returns policy and make sure it respects the right of withdrawal . If it is a reliable page you will have it in a visible place and it will be updated. This factor is quite important because it will be what will allow you to change or return the product if it is not what you expected or if it arrives damaged or damaged.
- Give only the data you consider necessary. If you find it strange that to make a purchase they ask you for some personal information: mobile, name of relatives, date of birth … be suspicious! Check that you are on a secure website and if it still seems strange to you, avoid making the purchase.
- Check that the payment method is safe. The consumer has the right to make payment in the safest way possible. Currently the accepted ways to buy online are: through credit or debit card, by bank transfer, through PayPal or cash on delivery.
- Save the proof of purchase. It is very important that you keep the ticket of the online purchases you make. And not only that, it is convenient that you also keep any summary page of the transaction or any type of communication related to the purchase (on pages that do not allow you to download a document you can do it through a screenshot).
- Avoid suspicious email links and ads. At Christmas time it is very common for hackers and cybercriminals to take advantage of the large number of purchases with fake ads. Therefore, if an offer seems too good to be true, it is best that you first compare and analyze the possibility that it is real.
- Use a secure Wi-Fi connection and make sure your device is up to date and protected. Information packets transmitted over public connections can be easily captured by computer criminals. Therefore, it is best to use a home Wi-Fi network, or at least a known one. In addition, having a good antivirus is also essential.
The best online stores to buy technological products
Below we offer you a list of web pages that meet all the security requirements and that also regularly launch offers and discounts that you can surely benefit from if you are thinking of giving technology away this Christmas:
- PC Components
Founded in 2005 in Alhama de Murcia, it is the quintessential computer store nationwide . Its website receives an average of 90,000 visits per day due to the large catalog it has and the competitive prices it offers . In it you can find everything from computers and mobiles to game consoles, games and components of these same devices.
In addition, it does not usually charge for shipping costs and has a quick processing of the guarantee of the products without any cost for returns and exchanges. Delivery times do not usually exceed 48 hours. And they have an assembly and repair service, providing a very complete customer service.
- Amazon
If PC Componentes is the benchmark at the Spanish level, Amazon is worldwide . Founded in 1995, it was one of the first online pages dedicated to the sale of technological products. It is one of the best stores for the technology community and for shopping fans in general since it has different product lines: music, movies, books, clothing, technology … The website is also famous for its low prices and for the multitude of offers and discounts that it periodically launches.
Currently, Amazon has three large logistics centers in Spanish territory, two in Madrid, in the towns of Getafe and Alcobendas, and another in Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona. In addition, the company is already working on the construction of what will be its largest warehouse nationwide, which will be located in the Toledo town of Illescas. This commitment to opening large logistics centers in our country has allowed them in recent years to guarantee the delivery of their products in less than a week.
It also has the innovative Amazon Premium service , with which the user can take advantage of exclusive offers and receive their purchases in just 24 hours, paying an annual fee of € 14.95.
- Rakuten
Rakuten is, in addition to the new main sponsor of Futbol Club Barcelona, a web portal for the sale of a multitude of products , including technology . The so-called Chinese Amazon has come to our country in recent months and therefore offers attractive opening offers.
The page works as an intermediary , that is, once you have selected the product you want to buy, it will direct you to the original page that sells the item. The payment, however, is made to Rakuten, who then takes it over to the original store.
On the occasion of his arrival in Spain, Rakuten has launched the Super Points program , with which he offers advantages and discounts . You just have to register on the page and make a first purchase to take advantage of the attractive offers.
- Fnac.es
Although a priori it may seem that it is the online page of the physical Fnac store , it is about different platforms . The website sells most of the products that are in the store,
but also, in this portal the user can find offers and discounts
that will rarely be applied in the physical store .
A great advantage of this portal is that you can take advantage of existing discounts and save shipping costs by picking them up at the physical store of your choice.
It also highlights the possibility it offers of selling already used products through its ” Marketplace “.
- Pixmania
This web portal, which was born 6 years ago mainly aimed at the world of photography, is an interesting alternative, since for a few years it has started to distribute a multitude of technological and cultural products .
The prices of Pixmania are quite competitive and also has a loyalty program that offers discounts, reduced shipping costs and warranty extensions.
The same business group has another portal, pixmania-pro.com , aimed at the professional market and where users can benefit from advantages such as discounts for the VAT value of certain products.
In short, these five web pages are just one example of the millions of portals that exist on the net where we can acquire technological and other products. At the end of the day, in addition to the basic security factors that we have discussed, it is only necessary to apply logic if we do not want to be deceived in our online purchases.
