2020 was certainly an unprecedented year. The COVID health pandemic forced many Australians to do more of their business, including shopping, online.
This festive season, it is widely anticipated that Australians will do a significant amount of their shopping online. In fact, recent CommBank credit and debit card data shows Australians are already spending big. Total online retail spend between August and October 2020 was up by more than 20 per cent in comparison to the same time last year.
For those shopping online, it is essential to keep your wits about you and stay safe so that you don’t end up paying for your purchases in unexpected ways.
Here are some top tips to shop safely online:
1. Shop with trusted sites
When buying online, it’s imperative you use reliable sites with a proven track record. To make sure you stay safe online, you should:
- Navigate directly to an online store using your web browser, rather than by clicking on a link in an email, SMS or social media post.
- Verify the reputation of the store by checking reviews and comments from other shoppers on social media and in search engines about their products or service.
