write an article in 100-120 words on harmful effects of online shopping.
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So I guess this might be helpful...
Nowadays in new era of technology, internet has already become part of our life. As Internet is becoming more widely used, we almost can find or do everything via internet. As many businesses are attempting to globalize their sales, Internet becomes the primary means of advertising and selling their products or services worldwide. Many businesses are creating web pages in addition to their retail stores, and many start their businesses with online stores alone. Paul Demery (2006) said, according to a new report from Forrester Research, 75% of the 80 million U.S. online households have purchased products over the Internet, with more than two-thirds having made an online purchase within the past three months. 8 million of web shoppers, 19% households spent $500 during the past three months, 16% spent between $250 and $499, 26% spent between $100 and $249, and 39% spent between $1 and $99. Due to online shopping is becoming more and more popular, there will have a lot of issues like, privacy, cheating, Fraud and security concerns, consumer expectation and etc.
Online shopping websites is build to allow people to sell and advertise their item or buy any things that they needed via website. In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the first World Wide Web server and browser. According to Kathryn (2010), in 1992, several years before Amazon was launched, there has a first-ever online bookstore been opened by a man named Charles Stack. Now it becomes Books.com. But, the first businesses to really make shopping online popular are Amazon and eBay which is launched by 1995 and 1996. These two businesses remain among the top online shopping sites today. The system is build in ethical way as it allows people to sell and advertise their items or buy any things as they needed via website. However, some people who having guilty mind take this advantage to do cyber crimes, such as cheating or scamming, stealing credit card information and etc. As stated in Wikipedia (2010), online shopping website brings a lot of advantages to public, such as more convenience, lower price and selection, information and review and etc. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages exist too, such as fraud and security concerns, lack of full cost disclosure, privacy and etc.
Today, more consumers shop online than they do in retail stores; online shopping is no longer just a fad or a passing phase. It is a way of life that we have all gotten used to for the simple reason it takes us less time to shop online than it would, were we to go head to the local retail store or to the local grocers. But online shopping comes with its own drawbacks and it is time that we took a closer look at some of them.
Choosing the right product: Since you are planning to shop online, it would not be possible for you to try on the new blazer or the brand new jeans that you have set your heart on purchasing. The same applies to all products where it would be either advisable to try them out before purchasing them or at least sample their wares. Instead, you would have to settle for the information listed on the website and hope that the product in question turns to be all right. One of the common reasons for most people to return their online purchases is that it was not in the right size.
Addictive: Recent studies have shown how online shopping, like regular shopping, can turn out to be addictive. Not everyone gets addicted to online shopping but there are more than a few who are susceptible to the same. Addicts often find it hard to quit purchasing items online to the point that they would soon start purchasing items they do not need and it is only a matter of time before they chalk up a massive debt.
Hidden costs: Most products when purchased online come with hidden costs. If you thought that the final price listed on the website is all there is and that you do not have to pay more, you would be mistaken. More often than not, online stores charge tax along with packing and courier charges and in the end, you would end up with a massive bill.
Security: Since you would be utilizing your credit cards to shop online, you may want to realize that most online vendors store your credit card information so that you can check out faster. But this puts you at risk of a data breach and puts you at risk of having your card details stolen. While companies assure customers that all customers’ related data is kept secure and stored separately on a different server, you would still be at risk of having your card information stolen.
These are some of the negatives associated with online shopping; no one is claiming that online shopping is bad but that it has its own shortcomings. You need to be aware of the negative effects of online shopping before opting to do just that. And it is always a good idea to shop with a debit card rather than a credit card for obvious reasons. So the next time you plan to do some online shopping, you may want to take a few precautions.