We are sure all of you Social Media revellers came across the #10yearchallenge this past week where friends and colleagues posted photos of then and now, showing some amazing transformations and progress that 10 years can make.
We are able to draw such parallels with shopping in Kenya over the past 10 years, where online shopping has flourished and is the new trend. You are able to get that much needed retail therapy all from the comfort of your own home!
That said, it is important that you or your family and friends, stay safe when purchasing items online. We have summarised some important points to help you and your loved ones stay safe when shopping online:
- Check reviews – we are currently living in a review based era which is great news if you want to do some due diligence before purchasing online. Start by seeing what other customer’s experiences with the online shop have been, these are readily available on different social media channels like Facebook and Instagram
- Is it easy to get in touch and speak to a real person? Try the helpline numbers provided on the online shop platforms for example! What type of impression do you receive from the individual on the other end? It is important to follow your gut feeling on this! Equally important is to check the validity of online shop’s email address. Since it is easy for frauds or cons to make an email account on Gmail or Hotmail for example so always ensure the domain name is in the name of the company, for example, somebody@exampledomain.co.ke
- Does the store offer refunds and exchanges in case you are not happy with the purchased product or product does not fit? Returns & exchange policies can be a nightmare but a genuine online shop which provides this service will always have a dedicated page where their terms and conditions are clearly stated. Make sure you read through this and are satisfied with the terms before purchasing.
- Do not pay for a product to a personal M-pesa/Airtel number, always ensure there is a Paybill Number. A paybill number, as opposed to a personal number, usually signifies that the establishment is a registered company, and this keeps you more secure and you are able to escalate any issues you may encounter to either Safaricom or Airtel.
- When checking out on the online store’s website, always ensure the website is “https” secure. You usually find this at the beginning of the website e.g. https://www.example.com . This implies that your personal data is encrypted and will not be compromised. Any debit/credit care details you enter will be kept on a secure server not accessible by third parties.
- Is the brand using a reputable courier to make deliveries to your desired location? This further enhances the credibility of the online store and if you have any issues you are able to report this store to the courier company. You can also verify the quoted delivery timeframe by checking this against the service offered by the courier used by the store.
We hope that you will assimilate the tips above to your online shopping experience in order to make it secure for yourself.
We have come across one company in particular who is doing all of the above, Tique a Bou Clothing.
Incorporated in 2014, Tique a Bou provides next day delivery, has a dedicated helpline, a secure check out portal and works will Fargo Couriers to ensure your product reaches you the next day.
We’ve also checked out their reviews which look pretty promising, you can see them yourself here
