Before and after the order

Eighteen checklists to buy online

Choose the situation that looks like your purchase. Each list highlights the information to be collected and the evidence to be kept, with a detailed guide if you need to deepen.

In each detailed guide, you can tick the final checklist as you read. For a specific product, also look for the guide suitable for your universe.

Comparison desk with computer, parcels and checklist before an online purchase
A list adapted to the situation helps to check the decisive points at the right time.AI-generated illustration.

The starting point

What control do you do first?

Identify the seller, then the offer specifies that you will pay. Once these two elements have been established, compare the total amount, delivery, returns and means of contact. If decisive information is missing, ask for it before ordering.

A shop you don't know

The challenge is to identify the company that is cashing and confirm that the area consulted is its own.

  • Compare the seller's name, address and contact details in the legal notices and terms of sale.
  • Read the site address after each redirection, especially before payment.
  • Search for recent and detailed off-site reviews, without deducing the reliability of an isolated note.
  • Check the price delivered, the delay and the return fees before creating an account.

Check a store in detail

Open the checklist to tick : A shop you don't know

A product sold on a marketplace

The platform, seller and sender can be different, and their role must remain clear until the basket is validated.

  • Take the words "sold by" and "sold by" on the selected offer.
  • Control the seller's country, place of dispatch and return conditions specific to this offer.
  • Compare the reference, condition and accessories of the product in the sheet and then in the basket.
  • Keep exchanges and payments in the platform's official route.

Identify the actual seller

Open the checklist to tick : A product sold on a marketplace

A costly or bulky purchase

Cost and post-order constraints often weigh more than a small price difference.

  • Note the complete reference, product dimensions and package sizes.
  • Compare the price with delivery, installation, recovery and necessary options.
  • Check access to the home, the date announced and the appointment arrangements.
  • Read the costs of returning a bulky package and identify the contact person for the after-sales service.

Prepare a large delivery

Open the checklist to tick : A costly or bulky purchase

An advertisement of opportunity or repackaging

General grades and promises do not always describe the actual state of the proposed product.

  • Request or view photos of the specific product and description of defects.
  • Check battery, compatibility, locking and accessories for a device.
  • Distinguish private seller, professional seller and platform.
  • Compare the price delivered with an equivalent new model and the applicable guarantees.

Compare occasion and repackaged

Open the checklist to tick : An ad for occasion or repackaged

A subscription or a promotional price

The first month may not be representative of the cost over the duration of the service.

  • Calculate the total over the proposed period, including the rate after promotion.
  • Identify commitment, renewal, activation fees and termination fees.
  • Confirm coverage, eligibility or compatibility at the place of use.
  • Keep the contractual summary and the terms of termination.

Compare a subscription

Open the checklist to tick : A subscription or a promotional price

A package that is late, absent or damaged

Accurate chronology and easy-to-read evidence make reporting more effective.

  • Keep the confirmation, tracking and delivery date announced.
  • Photograph the package, label and product if an anomaly is visible.
  • Describe the facts in writing to the seller or platform, with the order number.
  • Keep the reply, proof of deposit in case of return and record of the refund.

Resolve a delivery problem

Open the checklist to tick : A package that is late, absent or damaged

An order sent from a country outside the European Union

The price displayed and the delivery time may not describe the full cost and route of the order.

  • Identify the seller, the country of dispatch and the country from which the return will have to leave.
  • Verify that taxes and customs clearance fees are included in the price paid.
  • Compare the total cost and the time frame with an offer for the same reference.
  • Keep the product sheet, summary and transport documents for any request after purchase.

Preparing a purchase outside the European Union

Open the checklist to tick : An order sent from a country outside the European Union

A toy or child care item

Age, use, warnings and exact reference take precedence over presentation only.

  • Read the age or size indicated, warnings and conditions of use.
  • Compare manufacturer's reference, dimensions and accessories included.
  • Control the security information and possible reminders related to the model.
  • Keep the package leaflet, invoice and reference for information after delivery.

Check the safety of a child's item

Open the checklist to tick : A toy or a child care item

A travel or stay reservation

Two similar offers may include very different baggage, modification conditions or services.

  • Compare the dates, times, locations, occupants and services actually included.
  • Add luggage, taxes and service charges to the departure amount.
  • Read change and cancellation conditions before paying.
  • Keep confirmation, booking references and contact details of the provider.

Compare travel bookings

Open the checklist to tick : A travel or stay reservation

Renovation works ordered online

A useful estimate describes the work, equipment, responsible company and payment steps.

  • Verify the company's identity and the qualifications announced in the appropriate official sources.
  • Compare quantities, references, installation, finishes and evacuation on quotes of the same perimeter.
  • Schedule, subcontract and schedule prior to signature.
  • Keep the accepted estimate, invoices and photos at the time of receipt of the work.

Compare renovation quotes

Open the checklist to tick : Renovation works ordered online

One payment in multiple times

Small deadlines may mask a total cost or a schedule that is not well suited to your budget.

  • Compare the total amount payable with the cash price, including fees and services.
  • Record the number of dues, their dates and the means of payment used.
  • Read the conditions in case of delay, return of the product or cancellation.
  • Keep the accepted schedule and confirmations of each payment.

Understand a split payment

Open the checklist to tick : A payment in several times

A personalized gift to offer on a specific date

The manufacturing time adds to the transport and an error in the transmitted text can make the gift unusable.

  • Read the spelling, accents, date and final preview of customization.
  • Check dimensions, material, contents of the box and packing mode.
  • Add manufacture and transport to appreciate the date of receipt announced.
  • Keep the model validated, confirmation and exchanges with the seller.

Understanding the conditions of a gift for purchase

Open the checklist to tick : A personalized gift to offer on a specific date

A skincare or cosmetic product

Two formats with the same name may differ in composition, capacity or use.

  • Read the list of ingredients and the precautions indicated for the selected reference.
  • Compare the capacity and reduce the price to the same unit.
  • Check shade, variant, format and storage conditions.
  • Keep the lot number and invoice if a question occurs after receipt.

Compare cosmetics

Open the checklist to tick : A skincare or cosmetic product

An accessory that must be compatible

The general category of product does not prove that it works with your device, vehicle or installation.

  • Remove the complete reference and version of the equipment already owned.
  • Control connectors, dimensions, power and prerequisites specified by the manufacturer.
  • Check what is included: adapter, fastening, cable or license.
  • Request written confirmation from the seller if the form remains ambiguous.

Check equipment before purchase

Open the checklist to tick : An accessory that must be compatible

Food or food supplied

Packaging, substitutions and delivery niche change the actual value of the basket.

  • Compare weight, unit price, composition and allergens indicated.
  • Control the substitution policy and processing of missing items.
  • Choose a niche that is compatible with the reception of fresh products.
  • Check the received basket and quickly report any errors with specific items.

Compare online shopping

Open the checklist to tick : Food or food delivered

A home service provision

The price only makes sense if the perimeter, the operator and the necessary equipment are defined.

  • Describe the location, task, estimated duration and access constraints.
  • Specify any additional supplies, travel and expenses.
  • Identify the company or person who will perform and bill the service.
  • Keep the estimate, exchanges and an account of the intervention.

Read a delivery quote

Open the checklist to tick : A service provision at home

Online insurance

Two nearby contributions may cover different risks with separate deductibles and ceilings.

  • Describe the risk to be covered and compare the guarantees of each formula.
  • See exclusions, deductibles, ceilings and time limits indicated in contractual documents.
  • Check the reported information and the claim procedure.
  • Keep quotation, package leaflet, accepted conditions and any certificate.

Verify commitment and termination

Open the checklist to tick : Online insurance

Software or professional digital service

The call price does not always describe the included users, assistance or data recovery.

  • List the required functions, number of users and integrations.
  • Compare usage limits, storage, assistance and price after the trial period.
  • Check the conditions for renewal and the possibilities of exporting data.
  • Keep the summary of the offer and test a real course before engagement.

Compare the conditions of a digital service

Open the checklist to tick : Software or professional digital service

To compare

Putting bids on the same basis

For two offers of the same product, note the reference and condition, then the price actually paid with delivery. Add the delay, the seller, the possible cost of return and the after-sales service. A price difference becomes easier to interpret when this information is side by side.

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