Buying Gifts Online

There are advantages and disadvantages of shopping for gifts online.

Read on to find out the problems with online shopping and the suggested solutions.

Pros of Shopping for Gifts Online

1. Convenience

No more enduring traffic, especially if you need to go to more than one place.

No more tired feet as you are aimlessly going one place to another to find the perfect gift.

Can shop in the comfort of your home in your cozy pajamas or naked if you prefer.

2. Time Efficiency

No more rescheduling things to make time for gift shopping.

Time flexibility - Can shop after work or during short breaks despite busy times.

3. Wide Product Selection

This makes looking for the right gift easier, especially when shopping online on marketplaces such as Shopee or Lazada, because there are multiple sellers in one app.

4. Less Expensive

All-year-round, online shops run sales to dispose of their old inventories to make way for new ones.

You should take advantage of this to do your off-season gift shopping.

You can also buy extra gifts for unexpected occasions.

Cons of Shopping for Gifts Online (and Suggested Solutions and Alternatives)

1. Delayed Shipping

This can be a headache especially when the occasion is coming real soon and you haven't seen the gift items itself.

To avoid this problem, you should shop at least 1 to 3 months ahead of the occasion to make time for delivery delays and returns.

Also, try to look for local online shops who do same day deliveries.

2. Damaged or Wrong Item Sent

Again, this can be solved if you can order ahead of time to allow time allowance for delays and returns.

3. Expensive Shipping Costs

This is especially true for bulky and/or heavy items and if you shop for multiple items from one shop.

To lessen the costly shipping fees, use multiple vouchers when allowed.

If you have them, using a debit or credit cards with cash back promotions with that online shop can significantly reduce your total costs. Just make sure you have enough funds in your debit card and pay your entire credit card debt on or before your due date to avoid extra fees.

If there is a pick-up option, then you can choose that.

4. Lack of Physical Inspection of Products

Online shops may sometimes exaggerate their product descriptions online. So you need to also read multiple product reviews to get a better understanding of the product.

If you can shop early, you can secure time for returns if the product is unsatisfactory.

If after doing all remedies, you still can't get the gift in time, just simply apologize to the recipient and say you'll give them the gift a little bit later.