How to minimise shipping risks while selling or buying online?

When it comes to online shopping people decide to shop this way as it is convenient, fast and sometimes cheaper than in a physical store. However, shopping online can be challenging for both buyers and sellers, so here is some advice of how to overcome these challenges:

For the sellers:

• Sellers should always keep in mind the fact that customers cannot touch and evaluate the products before purchase. For this reason, every seller should put themselves in the customers shoes and think what would be the most important factors that would influence and escalate trust to buy the product. Firstly, ensure the images provided are as real as possible, so there aren’t any surprises when customer receives an item. Also ensure product description is detailed, precise and does not have any misleading information from a customer’s point of view.
• Provide contact details and ensure it is easily findable just in case customer has any queries. This way you’ll know that if the item received is not as expected, customer contacts you first.
• Customer bought an item? Before you send it off, carefully check the product and ensure it is good enough and can be shipped to the buyer. Also ensure the address you’re sending is exact as the customer provided.
• How to escalate customers trust? Provide a tracking number for the product customer has bought. This way the journey of the parcel can be followed from door to door and this way customer will know that the item has been shipped.
• Finally, encourage customers to check the parcel right away when courier arrives and if there is any damage noticed – inform the courier immediately. Ensure that in this case your customers knows that the  courier must mark it on the system as ‘’Damaged’’ and then sign for it otherwise you will not be able to get a compensation.

For the buyers:

• Before purchasing something online, ensure you look at the seller first. Does the seller have any reviews/comments from previous customers? Read and evaluate it. Ensure that you’re buying a good quality product and it will be delivered on time.
• Carefully read product’s description and do not just buy the product by looking at the picture only. For example, if you decide to get a shirt, read its description; what material is it made of? Does it have any guarantees? Who is the manufacturer? What is the measurement? Will it fit? Etc.
• Getting a product from a country which is not in the European Union? Check whether you’ll have to pay for the customs. The higher the value of the product the higher custom fee there will be.
• On the parcel’s arrival, look around and ensure there isn’t any damages and if you do notice something – inform the courier before signing it off. If you received a damaged product, informed courier before signing it – contact the seller and get either a new product or refund. In most of the stores, items can be returned within 14 days.

Next blog post  - how to increase sales for the online store.