On-line Christmas shopping -- avoid disappointed faces on Christmas morning.

M2 PRESSWIRE-22 November 2001-Collectpoint: On-line Christmas shopping -- avoid disappointed faces on Christmas morning (C)1994-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:21112001

Coming up to Christmas, what better way for busy people to shop for gifts than to surf the Internet and buy on-line. These days, many millions of pounds are spent buying from the Internet and, as Christmas approaches, the wires will be hot. But Jim Doyle of Collectpoint, the company that enables you to pick up your Internet purchases from local convenience stores, says there could be pitfalls for the unwary.

Collectpoint has considerable experience of 'e-tailing' in action. "It's still a matter of buyer beware", says Jim Doyle, "and you still need to be as sharp on the computer as you would be in the High Street."

To avoid any disappointments this Christmas, Jim Doyle offers his 'top tips' for buying on-line. One of the fundamental issues, for example, is that the lower costs and convenience of buying on-line rapidly disappear if taking delivery of the goods becomes a hassle.

Taking a day off work to wait in for a home delivery or, if you miss the delivery, having to queue up at a parcel depot, can really take the shine off what should be a slick transaction. "Having been caught out a few times myself, I decided to set up Collectpoint to tackle one of the main problem areas", says Jim Doyle, "but there are other considerations when buying on the Internet and I hope my Top Tips will help to avoid disappointments this Christmas."

Ten Top Tips for On-line Christmas Shopping

1.. Be sure to complete your purchase before any specified cut-off dates for Christmas delivery

2.. Make sure the store carries stock items so you don't have to wait for re-stocking or delivery chains

3.. If there is a customer service or sales line, ask if your order can be fulfilled in time. If you don't get an answer, perhaps the company is already under Christmas pressure!

4.. Check shipping and handling fees before making the purchase

5.. Keep a printed copy of all e-mail you receive from the online store, including your purchase order number, order confirmation and dispatch note.

Merchandise should be delivered to you within 30 days. The seller must inform you of likely delays

6.. Paying by credit card rather than debit card gives you greater protection.

If you are concerned about giving out your card number out on the Internet, most credit card companies give an 'online fraud protection guarantee'. You can email marketing@collectpoint.com to find out which cards offer guarantees

7.. Read the seller's privacy policy carefully to find out what personal information the seller is capturing from you and how it will be used. If a site does not have a privacy policy posted, contact its customer services to ask how you can prevent inappropriate use of information

8.. If you are concerned about the safe delivery of your purchase when normally no one would be at home to receive it, ask if delivery could be made at a specified time. Better still, have the goods delivered to a Collectpoint to be kept ready for you to collect at your convenience

9.. Check for any faults as soon as you receive your purchase. If you find any defects, contact the seller both by telephone and in writing, again making sure to keep copies of all correspondence

10.. Before buying from a site check out its returns policy. Make sure you aren't stuck with something you don't want!

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Collectpoint plc has more then 3,200 active delivery points in Britain, which can be found in numerous branches of Dillons/One Stop, SPAR, The Mills Group, David Sands, GT News and the Co-op as well as in some Londis stores. The large number of delivery points is making the service increasingly attractive to a wide variety of internet retailers. Latest partner webshops include www.blushingbuyer.co.uk; www.gadgetshop.com; and www.worthaglance.com.

Information about online shops and the service and selection of the nearest delivery points can be accessed via Collectpoint's website at www.collectpoint.com

CONTACT: Katie Sutton Tel: +44 (0)1344 622280 e-mail: katies@tc-comms.co.uk

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