Helpful hints on how to buy online the smart and safe way.

      As much as we would like everything to work perfectly all the time, sometimes things just don’t turn out the way we want them to.  Sometimes people aren’t completely truthful when they post things online and that sucks.  Nobody wants to be on the bad end of a deal and we want to ensure that happens as little as possible.  Our users are important to us and we wish we could guarantee that it would never happen, but there are some things that we can’t control.  So here are a few tips about online buying that may help you along your journey.  If you are buying online, trust your instincts and have fun!

- Be sure you ask plenty of questions.  You want to make sure that this is a legitimate transaction.  Asking questions will fill any informational gaps you might find in the listing.  Make sure this is the right item for you and make sure the seller knows enough about the item to ensure that this is a good buy.

- Give limited personal information.  Other than the credit card information that TheFreeWay.com will ask you, you should NEVER give out any of your information to a seller.  To protect yourself in a face-to-face transaction always use cash.

- Do you have to meet the seller?  Make sure you choose a public, well lit place.  It is always a good idea to bring a friend along as well.  As the old saying goes there is safety in numbers.  And always tell a friend where you are going and what time you will be back.  The more information a friend has about your meeting the better the opportunity they have of making sure you are safe.

- Do research on your item and how much it should be worth.  Those Beanie Babies people were saving in hopes that they would be worth their weight in gold in the future, but now are only worth about $2 - $10 for the most part.  Be careful that you are not buying an item for $1,000 that is really worth a lot less.  Let your fingers do the clicking and check the estimated worth of the item today.

- See it before you buy it, especially if there is no picture with the ad.  If someone is selling a slightly used TV and does not have a picture of it listed online, go and check it out in person.  Plug it in and make sure it works or doesn’t have any scratches down the front.  Sellers should always be honest in their descriptions, but people are not always as nice as we would hope them to be.  And these items are used or pre-owned.  Although well-loved, some of items may tend to look a little antiqued.  Make sure you are buying what you are looking for… or at.

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