How to Find a Trustworthy Store to Buy Teaching Supplies From Online
Teachers usually have their plates full of activities - from checking test papers to creating lesson plans. The increase in number of online stores provides teachers with both the convenience and wide array of choices in buying teaching supplies.
With just a click of a button, you can do your shopping any time of the day without the hustle and bustle of traffic and the crowd. When you search for teaching supplies in Google, you will find all brands and types available in the market, both local and international. With the internet, geography and time is no longer a problem when you want to shop.
But given the ease of doing online shopping, consumers should always be wary and only transact with trustworthy online stores. When you do an online transaction, it would be mostly based on trust since you will not be able to inspect the teaching supplies before you purchase them. There is a risk that you might not get what you paid for. There is also the risk of credit card fraud or fraudulent denial of your purchase.
Here are a few tips on how to find a trustworthy store to buy teaching supplies online:
1. Check for signs of security.
Most online stores would require you to key in your credit card information and billing/shipping addresses when you buy them. If you are not careful, malicious parties may acquire your sensitive information and use them without your authorization.
When entering your personal information, ensure that the website address of the store is protected with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). You can do this by checking the website address on the credit card information entry screen which should start with "HTTPS" and not "HTTP" only. The SSL is a protocol that is commonly-used to achieve security of message transmission on the Internet.
You can also look for these icons or logos to check the website's security:
"Padlock" icon usually placed in the bottom-right side of the web browser or on the right-hand side of the address bar.
Third-party security icons such as Verisign Identity Protection (VIP) network
Extended Validation (EV) Certificate that is usually found as a green or gray box to the left of the address bar. This digital certificate enables your internet browser to identify trustworthy sites.
2. Look for online stores that are endorsed by your organization or by other teachers. Transact with online stores with good reputation where other teachers have had good previous experiences. You can also check the review sections that most online stores have to see how many satisfied customers they have. Choose online stores who have sold at least 10 items and who have high satisfaction rating.
If in case you want to try an online teaching supplies store not referred by other teachers, research the business or organization before you transact with them. You can do a simple name search on the Better Business Bureau's website to see if there are consumer complaints against the business and to validate the organization's information.
3. Review the refund and return/exchange policy of the online store. Online stores who have confidence in their products have generous policies regarding refunds, returns and product exchanges. Review the policies of the online store you will transact with to make sure that you will be covered in case you find your purchase not as expected.
Check the contact information provided by the store and make sure that they are complete and valid. It is better if the store has a customer service hotline which you can call for any complaints or other concerns.
Hopefully, you will find satisfaction in shopping with the above tips on how to find a trustworthy store to buy teaching supplies online.
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