Getting the Most From Online Shopping 大家e起來上網購物

Even the most enthusiastic shopper has a bad day sometimes: You can't find what you want, every second person in the crowd seems intent on bumping into you, and your legs are aching from hip to toe. It's at times like these when the much-touted convenience of shopping over the Internet sounds like a better alternative.

Like bargain hunters in the real world, however, on-line shoppers need to be aware of the pitfalls in order to enjoy the benefits of e-commerce. For most, the main concern is the invisibility of whoever is on the other end of the transaction. Those walking into the cyber market armed only with a credit card and an active imagination need to follow a few guidelines.

The golden rule in purchasing anything over the Internet is to find out who you are dealing with. The first step is to make sure the company is legal and has clearly stated sales and security policies, which should be easy to access on its Web site.

Buyers should also pay close attention to the terms and conditions of sale, such as whether there are any hidden extras in the form of delivery costs. Of course, it is essential that the firm can guarantee the security of personal information and credit card numbers. Otherwise, you may end up being charged more than you bargained for.

Not all on-line shopping is done in virtual stores. Internet auctions function in much the same way as regular auctions, though with a longer time limit. Information about items for sale is posted on an auction site and anyone can make a bid within the stipulated time. The successful bidder is informed by e-mail. Then, payment and delivery, which are carried out by prearranged methods, follow.

There are two kinds of auction sites: business-to-person and person-to-person. In the former, it is the Web site that has possession of the goods on sale and accepts payment for them, whereas a person-to-person auction site merely provides a means by which sellers can sell their goods directly to customers.

As with other forms of Internet shopping, credit cards are usually the safest and most convenient way to pay, but in a person-to-person deal, the seller may be unwilling to accept them, insisting instead on a cashier's check or money order before sending the merchandise. In that case, some sites recommend an escrow service that will handle the transaction independently for a fee of around 5 percent of the cost of the item.

Practically anything can be bought on-line and, provided the appropriate caution is exercised, Internet shopping can be a rewarding alternative to trudging through the stores. So sit back, log on, and save the workout for the gym.

即使是最狂熱的購物王也有出師不利的日子：你找不到想買的東西，每個在你身后的人都好像故意要撞你，而你的雙腿從臀部痛到腳趾。這些時候，以便利頗受贊譽的網上購物聽來是個更好的選擇。

但是就像在現實世界買廉價商品一樣，網上購物者也需留意：在享受電子商務的方便的同時，也要承擔風險。通常最令人擔憂的是無法看見在另一端進行交易的對象。在線購物的人僅僅帶著信用卡，其余都得憑想像，因此有些事必須注意。

了解交易的對象是上網購物的金科玉律。首先要確定對方是合法的公司，其銷售方式有詳盡描述，并有保險政策，而且進入這種網站應該相當容易。

買方也應該仔細留意交易的條款及條件，譬如是否要負擔帳面外額外的運送費。當然，最重要的是該公司必須保證能對消費者的個人資料和信用卡號碼保密。否則，到頭來你被收取的費用可能會大出意料。

并非所有的網上交易都是通過虛擬商店來完成的。網絡上的拍賣運作方式大體與一般的拍賣無異，但有更長的拍賣期限。交易物品的信息會登在舉辦拍賣的網站，每個人都可以在規定期限內競標。中標者會以電子郵件得到通知，再依事先約定的方式付款、取貨。

舉辦拍賣的網站有兩種：商品對人的交易及人對人的交易。前者，網站擁有待價而沽的物品并收取拍賣所得；后者則只提供賣方直接銷售物品給顧客的途徑。

對其他形式的網上購物來說，信用卡是最安全且最方便的付款方式，但在人對人的交易中，賣方可能不愿接受這種付款方式，而是要求買方先付清貨款或支票才交貨。因此，某些網站會建議使用一種“委托契約”（由第三方獨立處理交易）的模式，另加收約貨品價格百分之五的費用。

幾乎所有商品都能在線購得，只要處理得當，網上購物會是除了在商家間奔波之外另一項令人滿意的選擇。所以，安靠椅背，開機上線吧！要鍛鏈身體，還是去健身房報到吧！