Case: Exercise caution

THE Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 11 complaints related to online shopping, blog shops and sprees last year, compared to 20 in 2008.

Mr Seah Seng Choon, Case's executive director, said consumers should exercise caution before carrying out any online transaction.

He noted: "Should there be a dispute, a consumer may be unable to take any action against the seller, especially when there are no contact details, or if the seller is from another country."

He said there are several precautions online shoppers can heed:

Do research about suppliers before making any purchases.

Be wary of companies which do not reveal their address and contact details.

Shoppers should try, as far as possible, to deal with registered businesses or businesses that are certified to be trustworthy. Shoppers can check if a business is registered by using the online directory on the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority website, www.acra.gov.sg

Always get contact details of the sellers or spree organisers and suppliers.

In cases where bulky items such as bags are purchased from blogs, ask for a meet-up to receive the items and pay the remaining amount on the spot rather than paying in full upon ordering the items.

If consumers suspect something is amiss, a police report should be lodged.

Consumers should transact with accredited sites, such as those that show the "TrustSg" Trustmark or the CaseTrust Trustmark as such businesses are assessed to have met a set of required standards.

Figures from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore's website show that, of Internet users aged 15 years and above who have used the Internet in 2008, 36 per cent shop online, an increase of over 27 per cent in 2004.

PayPal said the volume of online PayPal transactions made with overseas-based stores by consumers in Singapore has been growing by over 70 per cent annually.

This article was first published in The New Paper.