New York, USA - 1 December 2020: Surfshark VPN Proxy mobile app icon on phone screen top view, Illustrative Editorial.
Placing online orders has become second nature for many internet users. However, even the most experienced buyers can sometimes fall victim to the challenges of the web. Here are three habits to adopt to ensure that only good deals are made online.
Between the end-of-year holidays, sales, Black Friday, and other ongoing promotional events, there are numerous opportunities to place online orders. The convenience of purchasing with just a few clicks is widely appreciated by millions of French people who likely use this service daily, including you if you’re reading this article. However, have you considered whether you possess all the necessary good practices to secure favorable deals and, most importantly, to avoid the numerous pitfalls present on online sales platforms? Before making a purchase, consider adopting these three habits.
VERIFY THE LEGITIMACY OF ONLINE SALES SITES
A social media advertisement, a sponsored search result at the top of Google, an influencer’s recommendation… Today, solicitations related to original and useful products offered at attractive prices are widespread. After all, this gadget only costs a few euros; what do you risk?
Firstly, you might not even receive it. Secondly, a great number of these products come from China and are often of poor quality. They are usually shipped via fleeting platforms that practice what is known as dropshipping: this involves making you believe that a quality product is being sold by a French e-commerce site when in reality it’s often a mediocre item sent from China. Its value is often far below what you pay.
To avoid falling into such traps, it is important to verify if the online sales site has been in operation for a considerable period of time or not, and whether the same product is available at a similar price elsewhere. For this purpose, you can use a tool like Google Lens to take a photo of the product image and perform a visual search on the internet. Additionally, seeking customer reviews on platforms such as Trustpilot can provide further insights into the reliability of the product or service.
SECURE YOUR TRANSACTIONS ON ALL YOUR DEVICES
With a smartphone, you can enjoy shopping sessions anywhere: in a station, on a train, at an airport, in a café, or in a waiting room. You might even connect to public Wi-Fi for better connectivity when confirming your purchases. Be aware that while such practices may seem harmless, they put your personal data at risk. Indeed, a poorly configured network or server can allow cybercriminals to access your personal information, including details linked to your payment methods, when used on e-commerce sites.
One of the most effective ways to protect your personal data and avoid online scams is to use a VPN, that is, a private and encrypted network designed to make your personal information irretrievable.
A VPN establishes a secure connection between your device and the website you are visiting by encrypting your data. This means that information you send, such as bank details or login credentials, becomes unreadable to hackers. Consider using a VPN for your next online shopping trip when outside of home!
ENSURE YOU GET THE BEST PRICE
For certain types of products, particularly airline tickets, hotel reservations, or car rentals, prices can vary significantly based on the country from which the purchase is made. For example, an airline ticket may be more expensive when bought from France compared to a country with lower purchasing power.
In such situations, using a VPN can still be helpful. It allows you to virtually change your geographical location to compare prices offered in different regions around the globe. At the same time, the VPN prevents your connection from being identified and tracked by the websites you visit, thus preventing them from adjusting prices if you revisit them multiple times consecutively: this behavior can indeed signal your interest in a product or service, encouraging the website selling it to offer it to you at an increasingly higher price.
Note that a VPN can be useful when traveling abroad if you wish to make online purchases that are only possible from your country of origin. Even at the end of the world, by selecting your country in the list of available servers, you can browse the internet as if you were at home.
**Enjoy Winter Deals from Surfshark VPN**
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Until January 5, 2025, Surfshark offers up to 87% off on its various plans, including a 24-month commitment. The most affordable option is called Surfshark Starter: it costs €1.99 per month for 24 months, with an additional 4 months of subscription offered. Thus, the 28 months of access cost only €55.72. This offer includes access to Surfshark’s secure VPN and a full-featured ad blocker.
To further enhance your experience, you can explore the Surfshark One offer, which costs €2.49 per month for a period of 24 months and includes an additional 4 months free of charge. This equates to €69.72 for 28 months of use in total. In addition to all features included in previous subscription plans, this package incorporates a suite of tools designed to safeguard your online identity and devices with robust antivirus protection. It is the most popular offer from Surfshark.
