Almost everyday I see advertisements in newspapers of online shops offering a wide range of electronic goods, particularly mobile phones, at a great discount. The offers are certainly tempting, but I would advise consumers to exercise abundant caution while purchasing from these shops because in several cases that I have come across what was delivered was not what was promised.

In one particular case, for example, the consumer found, following delivery of his purchase, that the cell phone he got was not the original product, but a cheap Chinese imitation. When he complained, the e-shop never bothered to respond. In another case, the online shop collected the money (through online transaction), but informed the customer two days later that his order had been cancelled on account of non-availability of stocks and that his money would be returned within 15 days. He is yet to get the money.

So I would advise consumers to do due diligence on the online shop before making any purchase. And that’s easy — go online and key in the name of the shop and see if there are any complaints against it. You can also visit websites that provide consumers with a platform to express their views.

Even if you find no complaints against the online shop and feel encouraged to buy, I would suggest that you look at the website carefully. First and foremost, see if the online shop has a brick and mortar shop somewhere or a postal address where you can contact them if necessary and a landline connection. Call that number and see if it connects to the shop. Also see from the website if there are any names of the owners.

Once you have done a recce on the shop, get specific information on the product that you intend to buy and its price inclusive of delivery charges. How long will they take to deliver? Will the product carry the relevant warranty? Do not forget to ask about their return and refund policy if you are not satisfied with the product.

Take a print out of all their responses and keep it safe. You do not know when you will need them. And remember, not delivering the promised product or delivering a product that is different from what was promised or ordered, constitutes an unfair trade practice and you can go to the consumer court constituted under the Consumer Protection Act for redress. However, as the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. So it is better to be an alert consumer.