Shopping Online Growing In Popularity This Christmas

Shopping online is growing in popularity this Christmas as people see it as a way to get bargains and speedy delivery.

Research for PayPal UK reveals almost 39 million people will be going online for some or all of this year’s Christmas shopping – nearly 80% of all those surveyed.*

Over 10 million people in fact plan to do the vast majority of their Christmas shopping over the internet this year as they look to get bargains and ease of delivery.

Rob Skinner, Consumer Affairs Manager at PayPal said: “Christmas is always a busy time of year and online shopping is the perfect way to avoid the crowds and grab a bargain. This year will see a mobile Christmas, with many getting a smartphone as a present, and others doing at least some of their Christmas shopping on their mobile.”

Online shoppers plan to spend an average of £245 this Christmas, an 8% cent increase on last year’s spend.

The most important factors when shopping online for Christmas are:

• Saving money/ finding a bargain
• Free delivery
• Speed and convenience
• Buying from a trusted brand/ website
• To buy things you can’t buy on the high street
• Rapid delivery time
• Ability to send items directly to the recipient as a gift

Worryingly many are still failing to take basic safety measures when shopping online.

Using the same password on various sites fr example is certainly not recommended and yet one in five admit to doing just this. Equally a third say they forget to look for the padlock icon that indicates a secure site when making a payment (although they know what it is).

With help from PayPal, here are some top tips for safe online Christmas shopping:

• Take the time to understand the refund policies for any online retailer you are planning to buy from, especially if they are not based in the UK. Make sure you are comfortable with the refund and return postage policies or compensation that you would get if something were to go wrong.
• When making financial transactions online, take time to ensure that the site you’re entering your details on is legitimate and secure, not a cloned or unsecure site. For example look for the padlock symbol in the browser and make sure the website address (or URL) starts with ‘https’ as this will protect your personal information being shared with other users.
• Protect your personal financial details by using a payment method such as PayPal which does not share your financial information with retailers.
• Make sure you use one of the latest browsers, such as Internet Explorer 8, to surf the web and have the latest versions of security software on your computer and set them to automatic update.
• Beware a false sense of urgency. Many rip-off companies try to deceive you with the threat that something is in jeopardy if you don’t update it ASAP. Always remember, if it is that urgent, the real organisation will let you know; to double check either go directly to the official company website or call them rather than clicking on any links in an email.
• Finally, if an offer seems too good to be true it probably is – make sure you use reasonable judgement when buying online. Try to think of the offline equivalent to what you are doing and ask yourself if it is wise to make the purchase.

MoneyHighStreet comments: “As well as being aware of security, if shopping online and buying from overseas stores, do make sure you know your limits before you have to pay import duty or VAT.

“Making the most of your money is of course important, particularly with the current climate where most are trying to save money at every opportunity. Making a budget for your Christmas festivities can help, as of course can looking for special offers, voucher codes and maybe reward points from retailers.

“Happy shopping!”

*Opinium Research carried out an online poll of 2010 UK adults from 8th to 10th November 2011. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.