Everyone knows that all of us are at the risk of being affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The disease spreads person-to-person through coughs or sneezes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In a bid to protect from disease, many physical stores have taken safety measures.
For instance, limiting the number of customers is allowed in the store at a time, social distancing and disinfected carts, etc.
The most important rule of safe shopping particularly during COVID-19 is selecting the option of delivery services and avoiding visits to physical shops. Home delivery is services already exist in Pakistan.
Various e-commerce stores are selling online in which itdukan and daraz are among the top e-commerce stores. Anyone can order on their website or mobile applications.
All online stores are taking safety precaution such as delivery agents are wearing masks and gloves.
As many people buy online for groceries, cleaning items, and medicines, the number of customers in shops and streets will decrease and ultimately lowering the risk of getting infected and chances for disease spread among the community.
Nevertheless, purchasing online also carry many risks of fraud. All customers are advised to use the following tips for safety measures to shop online.
- Trust your instinct: In this pandemic situation, we need to be strong and trust ourselves by overcoming the fear of fraud.
- Make secure transactions: Make sure that you are making payments via reliable websites starting with https// (“s” represents secure) and check for a lock symbol at the bottom of your browser.
- Take Notice sale tax charges: Trading businesses selling fake products avoid reporting sale to tax authorities. This can be noticed in receipts showing the final price of any suspicious product.
- Pursue quality assurance: Customers should seek whether the retailor has adopted an authentic procedure of inspection and appointed qualified technicians to examine the sale items.
- Be more careful about medicines: 96% online medical stores don’t meet authentication and legal standard. As we know that physical medical stores ask for doctor’s prescriptions whereas online stores never do so, and they also don’t inform about the potential side effects of any medicine. That’s why we need to be more careful
- Be vigilant in international transactions: While shopping on international websites make sure that vendors meet the legal standard and identifiable privacy.
- Protect your personal information: Unauthentic and insecure websites often install malware to steal credit card information and other information stored on your computer.
- Scrutinize Item: You need to closely examine labels, packing, and content of any item before purchase. Don’t buy a product if the expiry date, warranty is missing. Avoid buying products having a broken seal, missing safety seal, and unusual packaging.
- Report counterfeit products: Report unsafe and fake products at helpline 9911 or at the following address. 2nd Floor, National Police Foundation Building, Mauve Area, Sector G-10/4, Islamabad, Pakistan: Phone: +92 51 9106 384. Email: helpdesk@nr3c.gov.pk.
- Spread the message about fake products and online fraud: Teach your children about false items and inform friends and family about sources of products.
