Shopping online is a new trend which is growing at an exponential rate. There are many e-commerce sites which provide convenience in purchasing products from them like cash of delivery, free shipping etc.
Here I'll list some methods to save some more extra cash while shopping online.
Disclaimer- All the methods listed below are handpicked by the author using his immense knowledge and experience. These methods are only listed after rigorous experimentation and usage.
Author is not responsible if you still end up paying a higher price for a product.
Author is not responsible if you still end up paying a higher price for a product.
1. Not all products available online are cheaper than the market price (MP).
Most of the products available online are cheaper then their offline counterparts. Always make sure to check other related online sites as well as the bricks and mortar stores to get the best deal.
Sometimes it so happens that the grocery products and those we use everyday are available at MRP on these sites but they are cheaper in the local markets.
In electronics, clothes etc, I've generally seen that the online stores are much cheaper. Although you must compare sites like Amazon, Flipkart, Jabong, Myntra and not Snapdeal (:P).
2. But there are huge discounts on every product on XYZ.com so the products must be cheapest.
Although there may be mind boggling discounts on a product but it may not be the cheapest. Many times the the products are listed at MRP rather then the MP.
Example- When I bought the S3, few years back then the MRP was 30k and I got it for around 25k from an offline store (which was the usual selling price at that time as it was around a year old). Now what do the online retailers do is that they show discount as a percentage on 30k instead of the usual 25k.
So the discount would be around 16% even when they are offering the product at the market price. Obviously the products there would seem cheaper because of a"discount" on them. Don't fall for these minor scams.
So the discount would be around 16% even when they are offering the product at the market price. Obviously the products there would seem cheaper because of a"discount" on them. Don't fall for these minor scams.
3. Always use cash back sites before buying online.
Cash back sites provide you with some percentage of amount you spend on shopping as cash in your bank account. The top cashback site is Cashkaro. It provides cash back on nearly all major sites including Amazon, Jabong, Snapdeal and even Dominos.
Yes, exactly. I have earned around 4.5k cashback till now and around 3.7k is with me. Isn't it super awesome?
Make an account here.
4. Use price comparision tools such as Buyhatke.
This tool can compare price of an item on different sites, provide a graphic representation of the price of the product during the previous months on that site and can even alert you if there is a price drop. Download the buyhatke extension for free on Chrome.
5. Use coupon sites for extra discount
I generally use couponduniya for coupons to get added discounts apart from cash back and retailer discounts.
6. Products available at very cheap price/huge discounts on the their MP are generally fakes.
Exceptions could be the the Big Billion Day sale at flipkart. I myself got a genuine product at a very low cost.
However there are other factors to consider before purchasing a product from an e-commerce site:
A. Shipping cost
B. Goodwill
C. Cash on delivery
D. Shipping areas covered.
E. Amazon fulfilled/3rd party sellers on flipkart
F. Terms of return/refund
G. Using your rational mind so you don't get a fake.
Happy shopping!
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
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