Tips for Online Shopping

If you hate the crowded environment of shopping malls and department stores or maybe you're just plain lazy, and need to buy something, yet you don't want to spend too much money, I suggest you give online shopping a go. I've only tried online shopping twice. Both times, I was quite satisfied. Do I need to tell you what I bought? No, of course not. why would you care if I bought toys and video games online? oops.

Anyway, If you're new to online shopping, here are a few tips based from my experience. Mind you, this is mostly applicable to those of you who use Sulit.com.ph.But try and use it on any other time you're buying stuff online from some stranger.

1. Make sure the price is right. For instance, you're buying second hand video games for your PlayStation2. The seller is pricing his goods for 400 a piece, but the games were submerged in floodwater. Meaning, The case has been water damaged and does not at all look good. But he claims the games still play. If it were me, I would not buy it for 400. I'd buy it for a 100, which I believe is a fair price since the game might've gotten more damage than the seller thought. 
2. Haggle. In layman's terms, "tawad". The whole point of online shopping is to get things cheap. Sometimes, sellers are willing to go down. If they're selling an item for 400, try and bring it down to as low as the seller is willing to go. Don't try to ask for a very low price because the seller might get insulted and not go down at all. Remember, Be courteous when talking to sellers. Respect begets respect.
3. Meet Ups over Shipping. When buying items online, I suggest you go for meet ups rather than shipping. Because a.) it's cheaper. because with shipping, the seller might ask you to pay for the shipping fee. That's additional money out of your pocket. and b.) With meet ups, you can actually see the condition of the item before you pay for it, and it will be a chance for you to see your seller in person. 
4. Location. Location. Location. you will want to have meet ups as close to your place as possible to avoid spending too much on transportation fees. The Seller will be thinking the same. So if you're looking for items online, look for sellers that are around your neighborhood. Because if you found a good deal, but you live in QC, and your seller wants to have meet ups in SM Marilao, well you're better off finding the same item somewhere else.
5. Ask for a Warranty. If you have doubts about the functionality of your purchased item, you can always ask the seller for a warranty. When I bought my games, the seller agreed to give me a one week warranty. This will be your chance to test out the item. And with the warranty, you and your seller could work something out if the item breaks or something. 
6. Repeat. Do it all over again the next time you go on to sulit.com.ph. 

Well, there you have it. I hope that my tips will help those who want to give online shopping a go. If you have any other tips that I might have missed out, feel free to leave them in the comments section. Cheers Readers! and Happy Shopping!