As the end of the year approaches, many brands and stores will be holding massive festive and year-end deals for Malaysians to take advantage of. And in this pandemic age, coupled with exclusive online-only discounts, e-commerce platforms will inevitably continue to be favoured by shoppers.

In addition to convenience, Malaysians are also motivated by the quality, range and availability of products, price advantages, and the assurance through customer reviews when they shop online. Exclusive deals, free shipping, and limited offers by online stores also play a big role in enticing shoppers.

As of last year, the Department of Statistics Malaysia reported a 23.1% on-year growth in e-commerce in the first nine months of 2021. The market is expected to reach US$12.6 billion (RM60 billion) by 2024, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.3% between 2020 and 2024.

However, it is important to be careful when shopping online. With cybercrime like identity theft, as well as issues related to deliveries such as wrong orders, delayed shipping, and cash-on-delivery (COD) scams on the rise, do take extra effort to ensure your online shopping experience is a good one. Here’s how.

1. Shop smart

Before making a purchase, do some research on the items you’d like to buy, and on the platform or seller you are buying from – especially if you’re buying something super expensive. Carry out price comparisons, read customers’ reviews, and inform yourself of the seller’s shipping policy to check if it is legit before proceeding.

A good tip is to always buy from official or authorised stores.

A credible online store must be encrypted with a secure connection. To see whether a website is safe to visit, check its security info. Some browsers will alert you if you can’t visit the site safely or privately.

2. Plan ahead

During festive seasons, it might take a while for your order to arrive. Here are a few things you can do to avoid any further delay to your delivery:

• Ensure someone is home to receive the packages during the scheduled delivery time.
• Alternatively, make sure there’s a safe spot for riders and drivers to drop off your item(s). You can also reschedule the delivery, which will help reduce the courier’s travel time.
• Another option is to arrange for your package to be picked up at a location near you. Many delivery services offer a wide range of self-pick-up locations across Malaysia.

3. Avoid scams

Delivery scams are, unfortunately, on the rise in Malaysia. According to the Royal Malaysia Police’s commercial crimes investigation department, a total of 71,833 scams, worth over RM5.2 billion in losses, were reported in the past two years.

Of these, 48,850 (68%) were online scams.

Scammers are increasingly luring customers to pay in cash for parcels that they either did not buy or do not match their expectations. Here’s how you can avoid such fraudulent activity:

• Do background research by checking on the reliability of the sites or sellers, especially overseas ones.
• Only buy from reputable sites and sellers; read customer reviews to learn more.
• Stay alert and updated on scammers’ latest tactics.
• Whenever you can, opt for cashless payment.
• If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is.
• If you made a COD arrangement, make sure the person who knows it is fully informed, especially if it’s not the same person who placed the order. If the parcel has already been paid for, make sure to notify the receiver.
• Reject your parcel if you sense something is off.
• Avoid giving out personal information – protect your privacy.

You might wonder, if COD scams are such a hassle, why can’t sellers and logistic teams remove it entirely as an option? The fact is, it remains a solid way for sellers to reach a customer group that do not have access to credit or debit cards, or who simply prefer to pay when their parcel arrives.

4. Be extra careful of how you dispose your packages

A parcel’s packaging contains personal information such as your name, address, and telephone number. This is private information that shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Once you have unpacked your parcel, dispose of it safely and discreetly, and remove any visible personal information. It can be as simple as crossing it out using a dark marker.

Sellers are also recommended to use secure delivery packs where all orders and essential information are keyed in online, allowing no room for scammers to acquire customers’ data for their gain. Through a generated QR code on the packs, the delivery service can access the required information for sorting and delivery.

5. When in doubt, get in touch

If you encounter any issues, contact the delivery service, which should be able to help rectify the situation or address any concerns.