Wish List

If you are an internet shopper or use an online wish list then you probably would have been troubled by the news back in April that 77 million people using the PlayStation Network has all become the victims of data theft after criminals hacked into the service and stole personal details.

Sony’s immediate response was to shut down the service immediately, and so it has stayed since. However two months after the incident, it would appear that the service is to resume operations globally.

Fortunately initial reports which suggested that the credit card details of the service’s 77 million users had also been stolen have proven to be false. Though there is no doubt that Sony’s reputation as a safe online shopping platform did take a sever beating.

It took more than a month for both the PlayStation store and PlayStation Online to have their functionality restored in Europe, in Japan, Sony’s core domestic market, resumption of normal service has taken even longer, as a result of insistence by the Japanese government, that the company prove its ability to provide a safe online shopping platform, providing adequate data protection.

The direct cost to Sony caused by the attacks is currently measured at around £105 million, but of course the true extent of the damage may not be appreciated for some time.

The company’s customers will once again need to be convinced that they are able to trust the company with their confidential information, and whilst Australian Debit Card information has not been stolen, there is no doubt that some will be cautious are even hesitate to part with cash directly on the Sony PlayStation website.

The high profile nature of Sony’s hack attack must surely alert other big companies that consumers really value security when it comes to online shopping.

If you don’t own a car, then doing the grocery shopping can be a real pain. Fortunately we live in the age of the internet, and shoppers can now do their week’s shopping from the comfort of their own home.

If you have never done online grocery shopping before here are a few tips.

Plan Meals Around Discount Sales

If you clip physical coupons, you may plan some meals around those coupons. You can do exactly the same online, and you should watch for special online discounts, and plan lunch or dinner around the sale.

Don’t Buy On Impulse
It’s very easy to be convinced by what looks like a great deal, mainly because online, it takes just one click. Make sure you work from a shopping list, so you can avoid this.

Don’t Buy Large Amounts Of Fresh Produce
Since shopping online prevents one from touching and smelling the produce they are buying, its best to stick to vegetables and fruits that do not easily damage, such as oranges, and corn. For the rest of it, perhaps a quick trip to the weekly farmers market for your fresh produce needs are your best bet.

Always Look For Cheaper Items
Online search results at a supermarket will usually list the most expensive items to begin with, so you should always scroll through the results and look for generic, and less expensive brands.

Shop Your History
The best thing about online grocery shopping is the retailer knows your shopping history right off the bat. This means you can always start your order with the items you buy most frequently, and it also lets you avoid impulse buy’s of expensive name brands, and stick to the essentials.

If you are one of those people who do a lot of shopping online, then you should think about setting up a gift wish list using a tool like boxedup.com. It’s completely free of charge, letting you save any item you see online to your wish list using a single click, and offers a quick and easy way to access to all your gift wish list items. Even better you can share your gift wish list with friends and family, so that you never again receive the same gift twice or a gift you simply have no use for.

The European Union is directing operators running websites to gain the explicit consent of their visitors before using cookies to track how they interact with internet according to a new mandate from the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

By seeking the consent of visitors before using cookies, the regulator is trying to make the internet safer to use, however many in the industry argue that the safety comes at the expense of functionality.

So far it is not clear exactly how consent will be obtained, and whether it is simply an opt in box.

Simon Crisp, Director of shopsafe.co.uk has voiced his concern about this directive, “This is going to add a regulatory and cost burden to digital economy at a time when we don’t need it”

According to Mr. Crisp, the additional regulations may make online shopping more complicated making those new to using the internet to buy things more reticent to do so.

Additional issues have been raised by search marketing firms, who use cookies to prove the effectiveness and therefore return on investment on their campaigns.

If you do a lot of shopping online, then set up a online wish list using a tool like boxedup.com, For a start its free, and lets you save any item you see online to your wish list using a single click, offering quick and easy access to all your online wish list items. Even better you can share your online wish list with friends and family, so that you never again receive the same gift twice or a gift you simply have no use for.

So you like to do a lot of online shopping, but don’t really know what your rights are, here is a check list of what rights you are entitled to whenever you make an online purchase.

• There is a seven day cooling off period
• Should you buy from a UK or EU based internet retailer, then you have entirely the same set of rights as you do, should the item be purchased from a physical store. The items must be of a satisfactory quality and be as described when the purchase was made.
• If the terms of the sale are breached by an online retailer, then you have the right to reject the goods purchased and receive a full refund provided you do so within a reasonable amount of time. Alternatively you can demand that the seller repairs or replaces the item.
• If return an item for reasons that are the suppliers fault, the postage is not your liability.

Cooling off period

• Should you change your mind about the purchase, or they simply fail to arrive in a timely manner, then according to Distance Selling Regulations (DSR) you have a cooling off period that last 7 working days and begins from the moment you place the order, lasting for 7 working days until after the items purchased have been received.
• During this interim cooling of period, you have the right to cancel your order without being required to state a reason. The DSR does not apply to items bought internationally or unsealed items such CD’s and DVD’s

If you do a lot of shopping online, then set up a birthday gift list using a tool like boxedup.com, For a start its free, and lets you save any item you see online to your wish list using a single click, offering quick and easy access to all your birthday gift list items. Even better you can share your birthday gift list with friends and family, so that you never again receive the same gift twice or a gift you simply have no use for.

Over the last decade online shopping has gone from an unreliable experience to something that millions of us do every day. In fact online shopping has become so popular now, that there are simply too many options available.

Despite all the convenience, when shopping online, it is easy to get lost in a maze of pricing, reviews and site options. If you find that happening, here is a check list of steps that will simplify your online shopping experience, making it more efficient and helping you save more money.

• Use an online wishlist
• Know what you want specifically or generally
• Find deals for items in that category
• Do a quick comparison of pricing
• Buy from favorite sites or the site with the best deal

If you have not already, then set up an online wishlist with a tool like boxedup.com. Its completely free of charge, and enables you to save any item you see on the web to a single list with a single click, enabling quick and easy access to all your wish list items. Even better you can share your wishlist with friends and family, ensuring you never receive the same gift twice or a gift you simply have no use for.

A new study suggests that Britons will adopt new smartphone technology with very little trouble, with many saying they would be comfortable even using their mobile phones as credit cards when they go shopping.

According to the results of a study commissioned by the British Retail Consortium, the number of retail searches conducted using a mobile phone leapt by 181% during the first quarter of 2001 compared with the same time frame in the previous year.

As shoppers increasingly use their phones to make purchases, they will begin to start using them in much the same way as they use credit cards and trust the safety of the technology.

Mobile phone searches accounted for 11% of all retail searches during that period, with the research also suggesting that retailers who sold goods both in store and online saw the number of searches rising by as much as 42 per cent as customers looked up items online whilst out an about shopping. This compares with online stores who registered a more moderate 19 per cent increase in searches.

“Despite any short-term effects from weakening consumer confidence, what stands out here is the fundamental strength of the growth of online retailing.”

If you like shopping online, either on your computer or through your mobile, why not set up an online wishlist using a tool like boxedup.com. It’s completely free of charge, and every time you see something you like, you can with a single click or touch, save the item your list.

As petrol prices rise, British consumers are increasingly turning away from cars when it comes to shopping and opting for the internet according to a report in the Financial Times.

The story cites the results of a survey undertaken by the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), the results of which suggests that as many as 52 per cent of those polled planned on reducing the number of shopping trips taken to the high street or out of town centres if petrol prices continue to rise in the same manner as they have in recent months.

The survey found that many shoppers prefer to use local stores to buy groceries and online stores to buy luxuries.

41 per cent of those polled said that the rise in the price of petrol provides incentive for them to deliberately choose supermarkets which have their own petrol station, where the cost is kept competitively low by the retailer.

33 per cent of those polled said that online shopping would be their first defence against the rising costs of running a car.

If you do a lot of online shopping why not set up an online wishlist using a tool like boxedup.com. It’s completely free of charge, and is a quick and simple way of saving everything you see whilst window shopping on the internet to a single list, that can be shared with friends and family.

Nearly one in three UK shoppers say they prefer online shopping when they can according to the results of a new survey. The Pay Your Way Study found that nearly one in four shopping trips now occurs online.

The survey analysed the shopping behavior of over 4000 adults consumers as it sought to find out how many shopping trips the typical consumers in the UK make a year.

According to the survey, the typical consumer shops 22 times a year online, including three online food store checkouts, and seven purchases of books and music. The survey reckons that shoppers would need to travel as many as 6111 miles a year in round trips to the retailers’ nearest distribution centres, to pay for their items in person.

32% of those polled say they would shop online where possible, with people in their 20’s most likely to prefer to shop online with even 204 of those over 70 saying they would rather shop over the internet then on the high street.

Sandra Quinn, of the Pay Your Way campaign, said: “This study highlights how much further afield our pounds now go – meaning that we don’t have to. The growth in internet use and modern payment options has opened up much greater choice, access and convenience to consumers.

“Already one in three Brits say they prefer to shop online rather than in person, reflecting increasing confidence in remote payments as well as the time pressures many people face today. Where people understand and have confidence in newer payment options, by and large they’re quick to pick up and exploit their benefits.”

If you are one of those who prefers shopping online, you should set up an online wishlist using a tool like boxedup.com. Setting up an account is free of charge, and you never have to worry about receiving the same gift twice and can share your list with friends and family

IMRG a retail consultancy polled 1,320 shoppers for its 2011 Consumer Delivery Survey, and found that nearly three quarters of those who responded (72.9%) say they believe that shopping online was a much greener alternative to physically visiting a store to make a purchase.

“Internet retailing appears, overall, to offer a significant environmental advantage, though rather than rest on their green laurels, e-tailers and their carriers could be doing more to decarbonize the distribution of online orders,” said Professor Alan McKinnon, Director of the Logistics Research Centre at the UK’s Heriot-Watt University McKinnon.

For those of you who like to do a lot of shopping online, you can set up an online wishlist using a tool like boxedup.com. Online wishlists are a great way to engage in window shopping on the world wide web, whenever you see an item that interests you, you can save the item to your wishlist with a single list, and when you access your account you can see all the items that you want to buy neatly saved on a combined list with quick access to the sites you saw the product on. What’s more, you can share your wish list with friends and family, ensuring you never get the same gift twice, or never again receive that gift that never gets used again.

Criminals are increasingly using the internet to rip off unsuspecting consumers, shielding themselves with the relative anonymity that the world wide web can provide, however if you follow some simple precautions, you can severely reduce the chance of becoming the next victim

Perhaps the best tip for preventing fraud is shopping online only from a secured network such as your home PC, shopping whilst at work or on a public Wi-Fi network is incredibly risky. If you are surfing the internet on an unsecured network, and see something you think you might want to buy, use an online wish list tool like boxedup, which with a single click allows you to save an item you see to an easily accessible list, which contains all the product details including which site the product is located. Once you get home, all you need to do is log in to your account and you can see everything that you were interested in.

The other advantage with an online wish list is you can share it with friends and family, and this has two benefits, first of all you will not receive a gift that never gets used again, and secondly you won’t be given the same gift twice.

Now you know how to safely shop on an unsecured network, here are the two most common online scams you should b aware of.

Fake websites: Websites which try and pass themselves off as legitimate and reputable online businesses when they are not, with the sole purpose of with the sole purpose of defrauding unsuspecting shoppers.

Phishing emails: emails which are sent supposedly from legitimate and well known businesses such as banks or PayPal. The email contains a link to fake but credible looking sites that ask the unsuspecting victim to update their account information, which is then used by criminals to commit fraud. Banks and other legitimate online businesses will not ask you to do this