1. Get acquainted with the Philippine online marketplace. Most Filipino sellers put up their online stores at
Multiply, a social network where members can post pictures, videos, etc. and interact with other members. You won't need an account to go shopping here, as most online stores in Multiply are available to the public.
Other sites where you can find Filipino sellers include
Ebay Philippines and
Etsy. You can also get started by checking out our
directory for a list of Philippine online stores and sellers.
2. Methods of payment and delivery. In the Philippines, payments for online purchases are often made either via
bank deposit, wherein the seller will provide the buyer with his bank details (bank account, account name, etc.) and the buyer will deposit his payment into that account, or via
GCash, a service by Globe Telecom which allows you to transfer money using your mobile phone, by texting the amount to a particular number. You will need to register or activate your G-Cash account and load money into that account before you can send payments. It sounds a bit tedious, but GCash is actually a very convenient method of payment once you've activated it. For more detailed instructions,
visit the Globe GCash site.
Delivery of products purchased from online stores are usually done via courier, but some sellers also agree to doing meet-ups. Couriers are convenient as they will deliver your purchases right to your doorstep, although this will cost you an additional shipping fee, depending on your location and where the item will be coming from. Meet-ups can possibly cost less, but might be inconvenient especially for those with busy schedules.
Some safety notes when online shopping:1. Buy only from credible, trustworthy sellers. Be aware that there are bogus sellers out there. Many online shoppers have fallen victim to bogus sellers who ask buyers to deposit/send their payments, only these sellers never actually deliver the products purchased. It's not always easy to determine if an online store is trustworthy, but one way of finding out is through the comments and posts of other people on their store pages. A few thank-you messages from previous buyers are a good sign that the seller is credible.
2. Be careful when doing meet-ups. Make sure to hold meet-ups in public places with heavy people traffic like malls, and as much as possible, have somebody with you when you claim your purchases from a seller.
3. Ask a lot of questions! Especially if you're purchasing gadgets or high-value items, make sure you know everything there is to know about the product before you send in your payment. If you're getting second-hand items in particular, ask for as much details as you can about the items, so you know what to expect. Do not just rely on the pictures posted of the product - read the description and if needed, send a private message to the seller if you need any more information.
Online Shopping EtiquetteFinally, just because "the customer is always right", doesn't mean you as a customer and a shopper don't have to be polite and respectful to online sellers. More importantly, if you say you're buying an item, you should do as you promised, otherwise, you might end up in a "Bogus Buyers" list! Here are some things to remember when it comes to online shopping etiquette:
1. Read before you ask. In my many visits to online stores, often I would stumble upon product posts where there will be numerous comments asking for the price of the item, to which the seller will have to dutifully reply to over and over again. What shoppers don't realize is that the price had already been posted to begin with, possibly as a description to the picture or as a small write-up at the beginning of the page. So before you actually post a question or IM a seller, make sure that the information you are looking for isn't already available, to save you and the seller some time and effort.
2. Keep your word. If you reserve a product promising that you will purchase it in a few days, make good with your promise. This is also true for items that are being auctioned off - only bid when you really intend to purchase the item. If you say that you are going to meet a seller to claim your purchases at a certain time and a certain place, make sure you are at your meeting place on time, and ready with your payment.
Happy Shopping!
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