Tadaa! Another Friday is here and I know some of us are in the TGIF mood, just like I am. The moment 5:00 pm hits, I’m dashing out of the office to get ready for a night out with my girls!
Trust me, I wouldn’t leave without dropping the life changing tips I have for you this week but before we get into that, allow me remind you of last week’s post where I gave 3 helpful tips on how to get great deals on Jumia. This week is all about staying woke! I’m going to share 5 tips on how to avoid buying fake and low quality products when you shop online. Let’s go!
Is what you order what you get?
As Nigerians, it is safe to say we’ve all had our share of “What I ordered vs What I got” be it with food, phones, electronics, and what not. I heard a shocking story of how someone bought an Apple iPhone 13 from a random vendor online and on switching it on, the person saw two hands shaking each other with “NOKI” written boldly on the screen.
While these stories may seem funny, they genuinely hurt and as a result, they have discouraged many people from shopping online. But not every egg in the crate always turns out to be bad, we just have to be more careful with how we choose. To help you improve your online shopping experience, I will share with you 4 tips on how to avoid buying fake and low-quality products online.
1. Shop from trusted online websites and stores:
This is one tip that never goes wrong. Always shop from verified stores you can hold accountable in the 0.01% chance that something goes wrong. Here at Jumia, we are all about making sure you get authentic and top quality goods at great prices. We make sure that any seller found selling non-genuine products on the website is penalized and delisted and in an event where you are not happy with your order, we have a flexible return policy that allows you to return the item for free and get a refund. You best believe that you are highly secure shopping on Jumia.
In addition, we have official stores on the Jumia platform that lets you shop directly from top brands you trust like Adidas, Defacto, Tecno, Infinix, Oraimo, Xiaomi, etc. So, get on the Jumia wave and you are going to be thankful for it.
2. Check Seller and Product Ratings:
As a Nigerian living in Nigeria, you know it is common practice to lock your door with the key and still try to open it with the handle just to be sure it’s properly locked. In other words, there is nothing like and that also applies when you shop online. Even when you are shopping from verified websites like Jumia, it is super helpful to use the seller ratings and reviews to help you make better decisions when you shop.
Seller ratings is measured based on customer feedback, product quality and order fulfilment . The higher the seller rating, the higher your chances of getting top quality products and an overall great shopping experience. I personally always target sellers with a minimum score of 60%.
Also, reviews don’t lie and it is smart to learn from someone’s experience. So, I read customer reviews about the products I want to buy and select only products with a minimum average product rating of 3 stars unless it is a newly introduced product without any ratings yet..
An easier way to do this on Jumia is by using filters. I filter by seller score of “60% or more” and Product Rating of “3 stars and above”. That helps me automatically take out products that do not meet my criteria and easily find the best ones.
P.S: It is always advisable to rate and review the products you buy and share your thoughts be it good or bad. This will help other customers make better decisions when shopping and also help us at Jumia to improve on the quality of products and services we offer. The more information you share, the more it helps us make you happier 😉
3. Check out the product description & images:
I know many of us do not take time to read product descriptions but I have come to realize they share really helpful information about the product. They give very detailed specifications that can help you clarify if what you are buying is the original product or not. Before you add that item to your cart, check that all the product information given actually matches the product.
4. Check if there is a warranty or a return policy:
Good online stores provide warranty and good return policies that gives customers “peace of mind” on the products they buy. If the online store is not assuring you of a warranty or a good return policy in a case where you are unsure or unsatisfied, you should consider it best not to proceed with the purchase. Jumia provides all of these and more on every purchase and that is a big reason why I keep Jumia top of mind every time I want to buy an item online.
5. Compare prices:
Before buying items online, establish a baseline by setting a realistic budget or price range and compare the prices from various sellers. You can check out various sellers on Jumia who sell the same item and find the one for the right price and quality based on your budget. Remember to combine all the other points that I mentioned earlier to make the best choice.
Now you know the drill, make sure to pass this knowledge to your family and friends and stay tuned for more tips, deals, updates, promotions, and exclusive content.
Till next Friday, stay jiggy, shop happy!
