Holiday Shopping Online Buying Tips for Seniors

Its the holiday shopping season again, and online shopping is by far the most convenient way for seniors to buy all the gifts they need for family and friends. Staying safe while shopping online is extremely important to ensure that you keep your personal and financial information safe. These tips can help you have a safe holiday shopping season online. Choose stores youre familiar with. Major retailers have secure online shopping websites that are easy to navigate. If youve never heard of a store before but are tempted to buy an item, check with a more familiar retailer first before submitting your personal information online. Make sure your passwords are secure. When opening accounts with major online retailers, always use secure passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols and write them down in a secure place that only you can access. Its tempting to use familiar names and places as passwords, but these can be more easily discovered by others. Use a credit card. Major credit cards offer protection against fraudulent charges and have a dispute process that you can use if the goods arent delivered. Your debit card may have the same protections, but it also has direct access to your bank account. Some shoppers use smaller balance credit cards just for their online shopping purchases to avoid large, fraudulent charges. Check the return policies. Be sure that the website provides a reasonable return policy in case the item doesnt fit or isnt what you expect. Most major retailers offer easy return policies, and sometimes your recipient can return the items to the physical store near them. Use care with emails. Although many legitimate businesses will communicate with you through email, there are some people who use innocent-looking links to fool people into entering sensitive information. If you dont know the sender, a good rule of thumb is to avoid clicking on any links in an email. You can always go directly to the stores website, log in, and check for any messages if youre not sure whether the store has contacted you. The holidays are right around the corner, and online shopping is an easy way to purchase all the gifts you need for your family and friends. An active senior lifestyle includes lots of ways to have fun during the holidays, and our Ashbridge Manor Senior Living apartments offer all the amenities you need, including transportation for shopping when you want an in-store experience. When its time to consider transitioning to a senior living lifestyle, contact our senior living experts to learn how our curated floorplans, active lifestyle amenities, and friendly staff can make the difference. Were located at 971 E. Lancaster Avenue in Downingtown, PA. To reach us, call 610.269.8800 or contact us online for more information. Ask us about our move-in special! Ashbridge Manor is a safe, COVID-free senior living community.