Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Safety and Awareness Wrap-Up Pointers by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Published on December 25, 2025December 25, 2025 by dgkaye28 Comments

Today I’m sharing my recap post from my Safety and Awareness series this year at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. In case you missed any, find recaps and links of each post below.

Welcome back to my last post of the year for my Safety and Awareness series. I talked a lot about staying safe in various scenarios this year. In this post I’d like to go over the highlights of these posts to reinforce and remind you all.

If you click on the headings it will take you directly to the relevant post.

The topics I covered this year in this beware series recap:

Staying Aware in the Public Eye

Covering pointers – to beware of distractions when out in public with distracted drivers, people attached to their phones not paying attention, reminding to beware your surroundings, petty theft warnings, message to men why not to put wallets in their back pockets, and cellphone precautionary tips in case you get stranded.

Beware Email Scams and What to Look For

In this post, I offer valuable tips on how to detect scam emails, what to look for in the URL address line, what links to NEVER click on, and how to deal with scammy emails, not just deleting, but reporting them as well.

Travel Safety and Awareness Part 1

In Part 1, I’m offering up some great travel solutions to remain safe while traveling and while on vacation. I suggest some good tips for bags and locks for travel, as well covering the importance of having RFID covers for credit cards and passport to deter passerby scammers who can steal our credit card/passport info with a tiny device without even stealing our bags.

The topics I cov

Travel and Safety Part 2

In Part 2 of Travel Scams to beware of, I discuss methods for staying safe at bank machines and in hotels – room safes, bank machine scammers, what to look for when using foreign bank machines, what not to wear when touring.

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Mobile and Email Digital Communication Safety

In this post I talk about how to safeguard our mobile phones and computers from unwanted privacy invasions pre-installed on our devices, and how to remove these unknowing and unauthorized permissions.

s year in this be this post, I offer valuable tip on how to detect scam emails, what to look for in the URL address li

Skin Safety Awareness and Vitamin D

Are you getting enough Vitamin D, or perhaps too much? In this post, I explain how SPF works and just how much Vitamin D we’re getting in various seasons, and when to use supplementation, the bewares of skin cancer, and sun protection protocols.

ne, whatnks to NEVER click on, and how to deal w

How much do you know about using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for protection on your Digital Devices?

In this post I cover what a VPN is, how to obtain one, and the very many benefits of having one installed on your mobile devices for privacy, both at home and for use when traveling. It prevents anyone on the internet from knowing our real IP address. And it’s so good to have for private wifi when out in public places, where hackers can easily get in our phones or laptops using unprotected public wifi.

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Fire Safety Protocols and Escape Plans

In this post, I’m discussing the importance of having a plan in case of fire. I am also mentioning a great fire safety tool to have in our homes – the Fire Blanket – a handy thing to have in the home or car for putting out fires instantly. They can be thrown over fires or used for wrapping ourselves in case we need to flee the flames.

~ ~ ~

I hope you’ve found this series helpful in your everyday living and beyond. I wish you all a beautiful holiday season, and I will be back here next April with a new series to both – entertain and inform, here at Sally’s Smorgasbord of information and entertainment.

©DGKaye2025

Original Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Safety and Awareness Wrap-Up Pointers by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Health and Safety – Safety Awareness Travel – Part 1 by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Published on June 10, 2025 by dgkaye25 Comments

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Health and Safety – Safety Awareness Travel – Part 1 by D.G. Kaye

Today I’m sharing my recent post on Safety Awareness, Part 1 on travel safety, I recently posted at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine.

Welcome back to my latest post in my Safety and Awareness series.

In this episode I’m going to offer up a few handy tips to keep in mind when traveling, as well as when out and about in daily living, and in crowded places. I’ll touch on things like using the right purse and travel bags, and in Part 2, more about hotel and passport safety, and bank machines.

Today I’m going to start with Part 1 and the essential travel bags and gear for travel security.

Vacations are great, it’s just the ‘getting there’ part makes traveling no joy. Gone are the days of mindless packing and carefree travel. Nowadays, we have to pack strategically for safety and security. I’ve traveled a lot and surely hope to continue doing so, but my protocols and equipment have changed through the rules and times of travel.

We’re no longer living in the era of traveling with a huge purse hanging off our shoulders – or we shouldn’t be. Tourist destinations are laden with pickpockets, and they are quite professional these days, no surprise why there are so many safety products available to keep up with current events and deterrents in the world. With the plentiful scams and methods of thievery around, it’s essential we pack with awareness.

Getting There

I’ll begin with luggage that makes for easier travel. There are all types of luggage styles and sizes available, a matter of personal choice. But there are some things to keep in mind when selecting. Depending on the length of trip and where, will help determine the size of bag you wish to carry. Many people nowadays travel with just a carryon bag so they don’t have to wait for baggage and hope theirs show up. I admire those people, sadly, I just can’t travel that minimum. Also, take into consideration the type of flight you booked and what is allowable for that fare. After all that, just make sure any bags you’re checking have locks on them – TSA locks specifically and are airline size allowance compatible.

Some may think locks are easy to break and a waste of time. But it has been proven that when thieves are working fast in airports, they don’t have time to fumble with locks and will move on to another bag without a lock, so they are a good deterrent. TSA can open these locks if they feel the urge to snoop, but they also close them back up – tender mercies. If you’re going to check a bag and have a carryon, make sure it’s one you can roll comfortably along with your checked bag when exiting the destination airport, or one that has a back sleeve so it can slide over the handle of your larger bag. If it’s too much you can opt for wearing a backpack instead. Remember, it’s worn on the back, so make sure that bag has RFID protection and lockable zippers to protect because we don’t have eyes behind us to keep an eye out when in crowded places. Alternatively, you can have RFID protected passport covers and wallets and/or purses to protect from personal information being stolen electronically.

I’m sharing some of my own travel RFID items here:

I finally found the perfect travel purse bag – especially for someone like me who has no trouble filling a big bag, but this bag that I found isn’t sexy or stylish, but is so comfortable and has several RFID pockets for wallets, phone, travel documents, even for a 10 inch Ipad or tablet, and more! It can be worn front or back and fits nicely under a jacket as it lies flat. I’ve now used this bag for two trips and love it, mostly for all it holds and comfort, but because I can easily slide it to my back, put on my jacket, board a plane with my carryon and personal bag allowance, without anyone knowing I also am wearing another bag. Most bags that are RFID also have ‘uncuttable’ straps, another safety feature against the grab-and-run criminals.

My new fav travel bag fits snugly on me, and I can move to any position that feels comfortable, it remains slim which makes it ideal for wearing under a jacket. The whole bag is RFID and waterproof! Two deep zippered pockets in front, a long pocket at top and another deep pocket at side zipper. I love it!

Above is my Ogon Swiss RFID aluminum travel wallet with passport holder and more! It has ten credit card slots, a passport pocket, a small change purse and another pocket to stuff a few bills in.

This is my daily new credit card wallet by Ogon. It’s compact, handy, and RFID safe. These products come in many colors and patterns. Ogon is a Swedish brand that makes some awesome aluminum RFID wallet alternatives. I was introduced to this product by a friend and now have a new travel wallet replacement that hold my cards and passport all in one, and easy access.

What is RFID?

Radio Frequency Identification. Radio waves can read our data remotely, such as off credit cards and passports. They don’t have to steal our credit card to steal the info off it if it isn’t protected. Many products are RFID protected now, from purses to wallets, to backpacks and luggage. You can even buy RFID credit card sleeves, they’re very inexpensive for good peace of mind. I have them on all my cards because my regular wallet isn’t RFID. And thieves aren’t only in vacation hotspots. They are everywhere.

These are my RFID card sleeves I use to protect my credit cards when not using an RFID wallet. Always. They come in a ton of styles and colors, depending where you buy them from. These are from my bank.

There are also vests and hoodies available for people who don’t wish to carry anything. All pockets on these items are RFID compliant. One popular vest is the Scotty Vest, and not cheap. But there are various types available on Amazon that do the same job and are much cheaper. . . please hop over to Sally’s blog to read the conclusion – there’s one more helpful tip there for safe travel.

Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Health and Safety – Safety Awareness Travel – Part 1 by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

©DGKaye2025

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Life Lessons 101 – Self-Imposed Deadlines and Stress – One Day at a Time by D. G. Kaye

Published on July 3, 2024 by dgkaye67 Comments

Welcome back to my Life Lessons 101 series at the Smorgasbord. Today the subject I’m discussing is about the stress we sometimes put upon ourselves and finding a work-around how to deal with it.

It’s true, we often create our own stress and anxiety, besides what life throws upon us. Life, as many of us knew it pre-technology, appears to be speeding up with what seems, many more things to tend to, and many technological interruptions that can delay our efforts when we must rely on them, especially for writers. As writers, we all have enough on our plates from life, but writers have more to contend with when it comes to living in a digitalized world. Sometimes it’s the digital upsets that hinder a writer’s efforts.

As writers, many of us know the anxieties which can grow when we have a writing deadline rolling around our brains, especially on those days where we can’t find our muse, or simply, don’t feel like working. Writing is ruled by the mind and no matter how much we wish to complete a project, the well inside may have gone blank or run dry. And as writers, we must re-organize, re-adapt, and return to, with a work- around eventually, so what do we do in the meantime?

Pre-technology, writers wrote and submitted to publishers for publication. Since the Indie revolution came along, publishing our own work became a convenience. But along with it came a mountain of work for publication, because the Indie writer wears too many hats. For most of us writers, the writing is our pleasure – everything else that comes with it can be overwhelming such as: Editing, formatting, book covers, marketing, and of course, the time-suck of all writers – social media. Of course, if we want our work and books noticed, we must make them noticeable in the digital world. In the pre-digital era, writers wrote and publishers, agents, editors, cover artists, marketers, took care of the rest. For many writers, these extra hats we wear take up a lot of our waking hours. Even if we are well-organized and everything is planned out, we all know that often, things don’t run smoothly because of technical glitches that sidetrack us and must be dealt with in order for us to carry on our real work, writing. And let us not forget life. Life is full of surprises – both the good and bad, and often give us something to throw us off schedule. Have I mentioned enough things yet to cause anxiety?

So, what have I begun doing?

I’ve adapted the ‘one day at a time’ approach since the past few years now. I’m a seasoned worrywart about everything, and life had given me plenty to worry about in the last six years or so. From the time my husband’s health issues came to surface, that’s where much of my attention was focused. Up to that point, I had put out a book a year, and two books in two of those years. Life was calm and my efforts were focused on everything writing/publishing. I had my set work schedule, and everything ran smoothly according to my projected timelines. But once life became more complicated, busy, and worrisome, I found my attention span for writing was slipping away. And during my husband’s long illness and his final passing, the urge to write felt like a distant desire. During that time, all my self-discipline to keep my working schedule going, had me in a tailspin about how much I’d have to catch up on after abandoning ship. Until one day, it sunk in how very short life really is. I allowed myself to reckon with the fact that I’d been through a horrible ordeal, so I stopped beating myself up about not producing books. And I also realized it was time to start doing more than just staying home all the time to keep caught up on everything in my life to-do list. I felt overwhelmed and wanted to just be more a part of the living and stop stressing.

High anxiety on a lengthy to-do list that seems to grow with time, instead of lessening, had to be reined in. Things not done today are added to tomorrow’s list, rinse and repeat. Always worrying about tomorrow’s to-do list – usually more pronounced while trying to sleep at night. The pattern had to change.

One day at a time became my mantra. Because I’m a high-functioning multi-tasker who used to be so well-organized, able to follow three conversations at once, until I began feeling so overwhelmed and became so easily distracted and behind in so much, I had to change my fretting in my struggle to keep up and focus into a less structured style and take in more living, but still, remaining accountable to my work projects.

I used the ‘one day at a time’ plan, instead of the everything on my plate constantly plans. It subconsciously eases the weight of being overwhelmed. . . please read conclusion at Sally’s blog.

©DGKaye2024

The New Phone Camera Tricks I Learned

Published on January 23, 2024January 22, 2024 by dgkaye96 Comments

Late November I posted about my having to cave in and upgrade my mobile phone, and my billing issues. I feel like I’m so inundated with everything technical that I just try to do the least on my phone. I don’t even open emails on my phone, except if I’m in an airport in case there’s notifications from the airlines while I’m awaiting a delayed flight. My old phone had a great camera and I used minimal of its capabilities, I’m sure. On my new Samsung, one of the high points was some special camera that has three lenses on it. I didn’t get into the specifics of its capabilities until my niece and grand niece came over this past Sunday.

I am no pro photographer but I love taking pictures. And I noticed sometimes my phone taking multiple pictures at once. I erased them all one by one and thought, come on, there has to be a quicker way to get rid of these in one swoop in today’s newest phones. So I asked my niece (the phone and tech wizard) to have a look at my camera and tell me what all the options were. This stuff wasn’t on my other phone. So I learned some cool things to do with pictures now, which I can’t wait to play with when I go to Mexico. And in case some of you have newer -ish phones and also may not be aware of the capabilities, I thought I’d share some things I learned from my niece . . .

Burst mode – so I learned why when I took one photo, several shots appeared. Apparently, by holding down the button to take a photo for a few seconds, creates a burst of many photos for us to choose from and a one touch on the button to erase the ones we don’t want. Hence, I must have held the button too long when I got ten of the same photo. Another great thing about burst mode is that you can use it to take selfies with. This way you have many images to look through to choose the one you like best – as opposed to taking many over and over, hoping to find a good one.

Night mode – as opposed to regular mode and it using auto flash, brings a beautiful clear picture in dark situations. It enhances the main focus of the photo, making the focus brighter, despite the darkness.

My niece did a demo for me in night mode vs. flash mode, what a difference! She also wrote caption demo with her finger. Both shots were taken from inside with the view from my balcony:

Portrait mode – taking a photo and the main object focus is brought to the focus and the forefront of the photo.

Panoramic mode – so cool, so I click on panoramic then pan around the room or outside anywhere as though I’m videoing, but I’m just panning the perimetres and then the whole scan turns into one picture with everything I panned into one photo. This most definitely is a great aide for people in real estate or renting air bnbs to show the rental unit. So cool.

Director’s View – The even cooler thing! So we click on this mode and it becomes a split screen, where the smaller square you see your own face (almost like a selfie mode) and in the larger area you see what’s behind the camera. It’s perfect for doing a Youtube video. And also very cool that you can edit and add text with type or handwritten on the photos.

Who knows, I may even become a pro photographer with this new phone! And if any of you are not as inclined as I am to learn all the fun things on our phones, maybe take a look at your camera options, you may be pleasantly surprised like me!

©DGKaye2023

Let’s Have A Look – FDA curbs unfounded memory supplement claims – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publishing

Published on February 16, 2021 by 34 Comments

Let’s Have a Look at this. How well do many of those pharmaceutical ‘miracle’ drugs they tout in advertisements work? Putting aside the long drawn out, often dangerous side-effects always recorded at the end of a commercial ad, in haste, in hopes your ears may miss a few, is it worth it to take this drug?

So this little question came to mind when I Googled the memory touting drug, Prevagen. To be honest, I looked it up out of curiosity because whenever I watch American news channel MSNBC (which I pay a premium to have), I can’t get over the same three or four themed advertisements that play over and over – pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, and more of it’s ilk. And the same ad for Prevagen comes on no matter when I watch that channel. But I digress, and after seeing that commercial numerous times I was curious about what exactly is in this ‘miracle’ drug? I mean, I know my short term memory sometimes plays tricks on me, so maybe I should take this?

As a person who does her damnest not to have to take pharmaceuticals, and thankfully, I don’t, except my compounded natural dessicated thryoid medication, my little meno-moments got me curious enough to look up – or try to look up, what is in this stuff? It led me to this page of Harvard University medical educators and contributors on various topics. Dr. Robert Shmerling, Senior Faculty Editor at Harvard Health Publishing, gave a great scientific explanation of the touting of Prevagen, it’s actual efficacy, and mentions the protocols the FDA takes before allowing a drug on the market, and the stipulations of wording that can be used by the advertisers.

Here are some of the points Dr. Shmerling makes:

“Like many heavily-advertised supplements, this one makes many claims. The bottle promises it “improves memory” and “supports: healthy brain function, sharper mind, clearer thinking.” Never mind that the main ingredient in jellyfish (apoaequorin) has no known role in human memory, or that many experts believe supplements like this would most likely be digested in the stomach and never wind up anywhere near the brain.”

“As “proof” of power, a bar graph shows a rise from 5% to 10% to 20% over 90 days in “recall tasks.” But there’s no way to know what these numbers refer to, how many people were studied, or other important details. And no information is provided about effects on memory after 90 days. The fine print under the graph says that the supplement “improved recall tasks in subjects” without explaining what this means. While a company-sponsored study reported improvements in memory after people took apoaequorin, the published version demonstrated minimal improvement (summarized here).”

“The US Federal Trade Commission wasn’t convinced of the supplement’s benefits. It charged the supplement maker with false advertising back in 2012. In the legal filings, the company was accused of selectively reporting data and misleading the public by claiming that Prevagen is “clinically proven” to improve cognitive function. The lawsuit has not yet been decided.”

You can read the full article, where it continues on about what claims pharma companies are legally allowed to make, and which claims are not allowed as disclaimers.

According to what I’ve read from the above articles, I am personally not convinced I’d want to take that drug. Interesting the wording permitted to use in advertisements leaves me feeling a bit duped, and without the long term benefits or side-effects, a lawsuit still pending on whether or not the efficacy has been proven for effectiveness and listening to claims in the ad how it’s ‘given them back their peace of mind’, I’m not convinced either.

If you’d care to share your thoughts on FDA issues with claims you don’t agree with from your own experience, please share your thoughts here with us. And if any of you readers here take Prevagen, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts about.

Source: FDA curbs unfounded memory supplement claims – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publishing

©DGKaye2021

Open Book Blog Hop – What Would You Do If You Had The Money?

Published on December 11, 2020 by 34 Comments

Something a little different. I visited my friend, Stevie Turner’s blog, where she shared a post she wrote as a blogshare for a Blog Hop. I haven’t joined the Blog Hop but I thought it would be fun to share an answer to this week’s Bloghop question Stevie shared on her blog:

Read Stevie’s post:

Welcome to this week’s Blog Hop. Today the topic is:

If you had unlimited money to start and maintain a business, what would it be?

I have to admit, I love Stevie’s ambition in her response to the question. And it didn’t take me long to think about what I would do with an abundance of time and money.

I’ve done a lot of fun and sometimes off the wall things in my life. I try not to have regrets and own up to the decisions I make then live with them. If I wanted something in life, I always went after it. I’ve been known to chase the impossible and come out victorious. Then I settled into a different pattern of living and social butterflying after I finally broke my promise to myself that I wouldn’t get married. But after a few years of marriage, my antsy self needed a hobby.

In my earlier life, one of the careers I chose was to become a casino dealer. I followed my passion and thought about where I’d like to work and could enjoy my job. I went to dealer school and got licensed to become a blackjack dealer, then a poker dealer and worked my way up to pit boss in my days of working casinos. Besides the long hours standing on my feet and a sore neck and shoulder from years of dealing cards in regimented fashion, I loved the action and the social aspect of the job. I felt right at home as I’d grown up watching my mother and aunts play poker in our smoke-filled kitchen once or twice a week, and played Gin/Rummy since I was a kid with my paternal grandfather. I matured into a rather good card player.

With the advent of online poker I decided to join a poker site – okay, maybe two. I enjoyed playing tournament poker on our bi-annual jaunts to Vegas. Now I could play in the comfort of my own home. I didn’t play for high stakes but the tournament pots were healthy sized.

I probably had a good eight year run before I began to apply and assert myself and start writing a book I’d be thinking about doing for years. I always wrote bibs and bobs and kept many journals for years. The writing bug took over and for the last eight years I’ve been immersed in the writing world. The poker tournament days evaporated once the serious writing began. And so that’s where the last of my careers will remain, writing. That, and taking care of my husband.

So, after my short biopic, and in answer to the question – what would I want to do with all the money and time at my disposal? Nothing, nada, zero. Oh sure, throw in lots of travel (when there’s no pandemic), but what I can honestly say is I’m quite content to write the rest of my life. The only thing I’d want to do with an abundance of money is “Waste away in Margaritaville.” Well, not really wasting away, vegging, but more like just taking in the beauty of nature, the sun’s rays adhering themselves to my body, and a daily margarita or two.

Give me the sun and warmth in Pacific Mexico. If I had oodles of money, I’d have no desire to get involved in starting up any other business. I’d remain writing because it’s part of who I am, and I’d hire virtual assistance to do the parts I don’t enjoy doing for marketing and such, and write at my leisure, be out on the beach daily with a book and an afternoon margarita. It doesn’t get better than that for me at this point in my life.

What would you like to do if you had access to a lot of money? Would you be eager to want to start a business and be tied to the time and gruel it would take to mature and beyond if you were middle-aged or older?

You can visit Stevie’s post and find out what she would do with the money:

https://steviet3.wordpress.com/2020/12/07/open-book-blog-hop-december-7th/comment-page-1/#comment-27082

©DGKaye2020

Reblog Share - Smorgasbord Health - Deydration

Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Published on May 21, 2020 by 2 Comments

Sally Cronin has begun a new health series at her blog – Smorgasbord Invitation. This new series, Project 101 – Resilience, is to both educate and inspire us all to get and keep fit. In this series, Sally will be talking about the sum of our parts and how to keep each of them running optimally, in this online sequel to her book Size Matters.

Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Sally Cronin

Welcome to the new series – Project 101 – Resilience.

As with most of you, I have spent the last 10 weeks in lock down with only a visit to the supermarket for fresh produce once a week. Thankfully, and touch wood, none of our family or close friends have been infected and slowly we are all coming out of hibernation and preparing to face the world again.

I am sure I am not alone in feeling somewhat nervous about this and will continue with my early shopping to avoid the crowds, wear gloves and a mask when shopping and decontaminate when I get home again.

I have been making good use of the time by continuing to work on keeping myself fit plus resurrecting some writing projects. I have also been planning the direction I would like the blog to take in the next year. For example, I wanted to make use of all the health posts that I have in the archives which number in their 100s, and re-purpose them in a way that readers would find useful.

Project 101 – Resilience.

Let me say upfront, that I cannot promise that what you will read over the next few weeks will prevent you catching a viral or bacterial infection, but what I would like to do is to encourage as many people as possible to take themselves out of the identified high risk categories by making some small changes to their lifestyle and diet.

One of the highest risks is to those over 70, particularly those who have underlying health problems. However, those health problems are predominantly lifestyle related and do not have to be for life. For example, Obesity, Type II Diabetes, Inflammatory diseases, nutritional deficiencies such as Vitamin D and High Blood Pressure.

I see a window of opportunity for all of us to review our health, diet and lifestyle and see where we can make improvements to boost our immune systems, reduce our risk factors and feel more confident about going back out into the world again. A chance to get our bodies fighting fit.

Over the last 20 years or so of working with 100s of clients as a nutritional therapist, I have discovered that making sweeping changes does not work. There are three elements that require attention, physical, mental and emotional, and making small but key changes in these areas is much more effective. . . .

Please head over to Sally’s and check out what we can expect to learn in this series.

Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Savvy Online Shopping – What to Watch Out For – Just Sayin’

Published on October 15, 2019 by 42 Comments

Today I’m back with some of my online shopping and shipping tips. It seem’s every so often there seems to be a kerfuffle when I place an online order. And because it seems I do a lot of online ordering, there’s bound to be mix-ups or snafus every once in awhile. I will add that thankfully, I’m not yet at the stage in life where I must have my groceries delivered, as I much prefer to choose my own produce and make sure I’m not getting any dented cans or ‘almost ready to expire’ products. My latest snag prompted me to write this post so I can share a few handy tips on what to look out for when placing an online order.

So what prompted this little informative rant? I was recently on a hunt for my favorite lipstick, which I sadly discovered is soon being discontinued – once again, as many of my favs have disappeared through the years in Sephora. My first go to site was our big pharma site with a host of beauty products they sell online but not in all their stores as there are a multitude of product lines and only so many a store can carry. I prefer to check out sites in Canada first, as if I have to order from the U.S. I get hit with a multitude of duties on top of outside Canada shipping. When I get that desperate (as I have with other products gone astray), only then will I order from Ulta in the U.S. who, like Sephora, carry all cosmetic lines.

My recent order through Shopper’s Drug Mart required a minimum of $50 spent to get free shipping. As I have currently stockpiled 5 of these lipsticks, I thought I’d order a few more for my collection and of course the order came to $49 and change – pennies short of free shipping, so I decided to add in a bronzing cream I love because my current one is almost empty, but could have waited a month or so for. So my order now was well over $50. A few days after I placed my order I received an email confirmation, “Your order has shipped”, only at the bottom of the email, there was a notice saying – sorry the lipsticks are out of stock. The email had a new total being charged to my card – now well under $50, but they had taken the liberty now to charge me an additional $8 for shipping! No way was I paying shipping on that order!

Here’s the deal online companies, if items are out of stock which weren’t out of stock when I ordered, I think I deserve the courtesy of knowing before hand in a separate email, offering me a chance to add to the order or cancel. But they took the liberty of sending the bronzer cream without the rest of my order and slapping a shipping charge on. I promptly called their customer service number and told them exactly what I wrote here. ‘Please don’t take the liberty to ship half an original order without my consent and adding your shipping charge because YOU couldn’t fulfill the order.’ Yes, it was a bit time consuming, but I don’t appreciate companies taking my money without my consent. And of course, they reversed the shipping charge.

When online shopping, it’s important to check our emailed receipts to make sure we haven’t been wrongly charged, and correct sizes and items are listed to make sure receive exactly what we ordered – even with that, sometimes wrong things are sent in error, but checking receipts and Visa statements are a first line defense.

I do usually order online from my specific favorite companies and am pretty familiar with their shipping practices. But when I order from an unfamiliar site, the first thing I do before ordering is click on their shipping policies to learn what I’m up against.

What to Look at When Ordering Online

First, if you’re unfamiliar with shopping on a certain site, I recommend Googling them up to check out reviews and recommends for that site, which will undoubtedly give you an idea of their customer service, should you require contacting them. I’ve come across a few popular sites over time that majority of complaints from customers was the terrible customer service and policies when it came to returns. That’s enough info for me to send me looking somewhere else to do my business. We should also check for reviews on a product we’re interested in ordering, on the actual site. Reading product reviews gives us a better idea of the product once someone has actually received theirs. Now, this isn’t to say that all reviews are helpful, as many of us readers know, not all book reviews are useful and sometimes irrelevant to a book.

Reviews are supposed to be helpful for others to aid in helping us make our decision to purchase. Sure, it’s okay to state how much you may love a product, but not adding any descriptions, such as sizing issues if it’s a garment or shoe, actual size of a product compared to what’s advertised, shipping issues, etc., isn’t helpful.

Below, I’ve done a little comparison of what to include in a good product review as opposed to what isn’t helpful:

Helpful:

Size comparisons, such as: “I’m usually a size 6 or small, and I needed to size up in this.”
This shoe fit too tight – size up.
This blender died after 2 months use – if I see a few of these comments, I’m on to a different brand.
The color of the product isn’t the same as what’s displayed on product page.
Book reviews that give some insight to fellow readers what the book is about, how they related to plot or characters, pacing, something the reader took from the book, and how the book left them feeling.

Not Helpful:

I love it!
So beautiful, glad I ordered it.
Wished I ordered in more colors.
Book reviews with no substance and nothing to entice a fellow reader.

I know as an online shopper, I rely a lot on other people’s reviews before I venture into making a purchase. Good reviews help others make an informed decision. Yes, it’s okay to share the love for a product we’re happy about, but without adding useful information, a review will serve no purpose other than to high-five the seller.

Remember this checklist before making your online purchase:

Check reviews on the site you’re ordering from.
Check shipping policies and ‘additional’ charges – especially if you are going to order from out of your country.
Check reviews under products you’re interested in purchasing, and read both negative and positive comments to help aid your purchase decisions.
Check Customer Service and ‘Contact Us’ on the site to make sure their return policy is fair and doesn’t require you to take a hit as penalty for returns, and that there is a contact phone number.
MAKE sure when placing an order on a site that isn’t from your country that you click on the right currency for your country, because if you will be paying in foreign dollars, you are looking at an exchange rate plus an additional bank charge on your credit card for the conversion. This will help you decide if paying the additional exchange plus shipping and duties are really worth purchasing the item.
Lastly, if you get surprisingly dinged for a shipping charge unjustly added, make sure to contact the company to have the charge removed.

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