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Buying online

When you're splurging on new shoes or ordering the latest bestseller online, it helps to know your rights and how to navigate the system.

Shopping online offers many conveniences – most of all serious savings, both in cost and time spent not schlepping off to a bricks-and-mortar store. But what are the pitfalls involved with shopping online? Our advice covers your rights, returns, delivery times and customer service, along with invaluable tips on how to get the best experience shopping online.

Meet the online shopping team

Articles

Online shopping subscription services We compare Amazon Prime, eBay Plus and Shipster to see which has the best deals.

ShopMate and US freight-forwarding services What are your postage options when US retailers won't ship your purchases to Australia?

Australians shopping online face $5 parcel tax Will be in addition to upcoming GST tax on goods below $1000.

ZipPay: What is it and can you trust it? The adage goes: if it sounds too good to be true...

Buying online from overseas retailers If you receive a faulty product, what are your consumer rights in Australia?

Red Balloon fined by ACCC Busted for profiting from card surcharges.

Click Frenzy clothing retailers put on notice by ACCC Watchdog tells a dozen retailers to clean up their policies.

Will Australia Post's Shipster delivery service save you money? Australia Post and more than 40 big-brand retailers have banded together to pre-empt the local arrival of Amazon.

Afterpay: What is it and can it be trusted? The digital checkout service where you take now and pay later is quickly growing in Australia.

Thousands ripped off by education firm Get Qualified, rules Federal Court The ailing company used unconscionable sales tricks and broke advertised promises.

Shopping online not without problems for Australians More than a third of online purchases are damaged, lost or spoiled by a number of other issues.

Amazon announces plans to launch in Australia The retail giant will make the multi-million dollar move to start a local operation.

LuxStyle website ripping off Australians, warns ACCC More than a hundred reports against the Danish retailer filed to the ACCC in two months.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday online shopping tips Here's how to bag the best bargains.

ACCC investigates fake online reviews What you see is not always what you get when it comes to online review sites.

Government will block overseas websites that refuse to collect GST Retail sites that don't follow new tax rules will be blocked to Australians, says a Treasury source.

Rio 2016 Olympic Games ticket scams UK consumer organisation Which? points to a possible ticketing flim-flam.

Beware of 'subscription traps', warns ACCC 23 June 2016 | Some online retailers have been adding sneaky ongoing membership costs to single item purchases.

High cost of living with a disability Mobility aids and other assistive technology is critical to the lives of Australians with a disability – but are we paying more for it than people overseas?

Targeted pricing online Why you could be paying a higher price for online goods and services without knowing.

Hefty fees proposed for overseas purchases 17 June 2015 | Lowering the GST threshold could see online shopping costs skyrocket for Australians.

PayPal's Buyer Protection – what does it offer? When shopping online, there aren't any get-out-of-jail-free cards.

Bargain book buys Real books, virtual bookstores

Buying cheaper clothing online Australians are still being forced to pay a premium price for clothing, even when we buy online.

Counterfeit goods Counterfeit goods are on the rise and getting harder to pick. We help you spot the difference between Fendi and a Prentendi.

Group buying sites Should you trust group buying sites or should you steer clear?

High postage paid Why Australian parcel postage costs so much, and "free shipping" isn't really free.

One cent and penny auction investigation We delve into the murky world of one-cent or penny auctions to find out if they're too good to be true.

Online shopping checklist Top tips for staying safe while buying goods online.

Online shopping guide We give you the lowdown on how to shop the virtual marketplace.

Online shopping delivery and returns Online shopping is convenient, but what happens when you need extra help? We see how online customer service stacks up.

Foreign transaction fees when shopping online You don't need to be converting currency to get hit with foreign transaction fees.

Amazon enters Australia promising next day deliveries A spot check on pricing indicates it's competitive in some categories, but not so much in others.

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The online shopping team

Our experts have been tirelessly trawling through the web and shopping online – all in the name of research – to make sure you don't have to waste your time, money or energy with the wrong e-tailers. Make the most of their hard work and stay safe when you hit the virtual shop floors.

Kate Browne

Jemma Castle

Zoya Sheftalovich Investigative journalist

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