Shopping Safely Online: Day 4

When purchasing goods online it can be quite daunting if the expected delivery date passes without a knock on the door from the postman. You might also be dreading the thought of opening your parcel to reveal a damaged item that doesn’t work and has missing parts.

Thankfully, consumer rights are in place to aid people who purchase online and don’t get what they expect. Here are a few things to consider with regards to consumer rights before purchasing online.

If you are not satisfied with the item you have received after an online purchase, you may be entitled to a refund. In most cases the chance of a refund expires after a certain amount of time, which could be anything from a few days to a whole month. Always check the refund or returns section carefully before purchasing an item online.

It is advised that you use a credit card to make a purchase that exceeds £100. The Consumer Credit Act states that anyone who spends over £100 on their credit card has legal rights, giving you an upper hand should something go wrong with the purchase.

RAND Logistics can deliver items promptly on an international scale, so if you need to ship a parcel to Italy or anywhere else in the world make sure you come to RAND first for a great quote.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 3

Today we’ll be looking at what it is you need to watch out for when purchasing something online in order to prevent criminals from accessing your card details and making transactions in your name. You can significantly reduce the risk of this happening to you in the future by following our guidelines here at RAND.

If you are ever required to enter your PIN number when shopping online, do not proceed with the payment. PIN numbers are only meant for physical card transactions from a cash machine and a physical store checkout. Criminals can easily obtain your PIN number by asking you for it in a transaction, so always watch out for this!

In most cases, websites that you purchase from will require you to enter a security code found on the back of your card. This is the usual practice when purchasing online and doesn’t need to be avoided. Websites are not allowed to store personal information, so if they request this without express permission, think twice before purchasing here.

Finally, many sites will save your card details so that you can make transactions easily in the future. It is much safer to delete your card details and provide them again only when you make another purchase, unless you know the site can be trusted.

If you are sending a parcel internationally this winter, make the most of our services here at RAND and make sure any purchase you make in the near future complies with our guidelines.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 2

It’s our second day of awareness for safely shopping online and today we’ll be focusing on the ins and outs of making a payment online. It’s vital that you are made aware of the reliability of the seller before offering up your card details, so make sure you follow our guide before making a payment.

The vast majority of online shopping sites will encourage you to purchase items by adding to an online shopping basket. Sites like this are usually major outlets and can be trusted. Always read the terms and conditions before making a purchase as all shopping outlets are different. This process usually occurs before you’ve made the payment. The final step is always making the payment from your credit or debit card, so keep this in mind when shopping online.

Another indication that a sites online shopping option is reliable is if they use PayPal to process a payment. PayPal is a secure payment option whereby you sign up and register your credit or debit card details. Any payment you make online is activated by PayPal using your account details.

Finally and most important of all is the security protocols when making a payment. Whilst it doesn’t happen all the time, usually you will be greeted with another layer of security before processing a payment. This is another password associated with your online transactions, often used by Visa and MasterCard for added security.

The above steps are commonly associated with making a reliable payment online so always make sure that you analyse the payment process carefully before submitting your payment. If you are planning on shipping a parcel to an online buyer in the near future, make the most of our services here at RAND. We ship internationally making our service ideal for any online seller.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 1

This week we will be looking at the safety measures that go hand-in-hand with online shopping. It’s extremely important to make sure that you are dealing with a safe and secure website when purchasing items online, whilst you also need to become aware of suspicious behaviour during online sales if you want to avoid a bad online experience. Today we are focusing on how to identify a secure site to shop online with.

Many websites from fast food restaurants to major electrical outlets make use of the efficiency and practicality of online credit. However, it’s vital that you know how to identify a secure website before providing your credit card details. A site is secure if they possess a small padlock in the address bar, whilst the ‘s’ at the end of ‘https’ stands for the word ‘secure’.

Never jump at offers that seem unrealistic. Most sites that let you trade over the internet with other people struggle to identify scammers, so think twice before purchasing what looks like a 50 inch plasma TV for £50. You can back up your knowledge of the site you’ve encountered by using Google or asking friends and family about it but if you’ve got your suspicions, don’t take the risk.

Need to send a parcel internationally? RAND can provide you with a safe and secure service that gets your parcel from A to B in good time. Contact us today for more information about the services we offer.

Uses for Junk Mail; Recycling for Others

Reusing and Recycling

Why not use your unwanted junk mail as padding for sending far more important, more delicate packages? Shred the junk mail and use it to pack bags, clothes or as extra padding for heavy consoles that you want to send by post. Or if you have an item that you want to send, but the box is too big for the item, you can thickly pack the item with junk mail (shredded, so that your recipient doesn’t get annoyed at your handouts!) so that the gift cannot move within the bigger box.

For even more delicate parcels, like glass or china, you can wrap them in junk mail and thickly pack junk mail around them by balling up the paper. You save a lot of money on packing paper, plus you are helping the environment by reusing your unwanted junk mail!

Or alternatively you can always donate your unwanted junk mail paper to a children’s craft library or nursery, so that they can put your cast offs to better use. Make sure to destroy or remove your address from anything you send on to another recipient, as this could be used against you, or to even send you more spam and junk mail.

Sending a special parcel internationally? Try RAND Logistic’s quick quote service for an instant quote. Our shipping rates are second to none.

 

Preparing for Chinese New Year

We’ve focused on some traditional events taking place in January all over the world this week and we’re concluding with our build up to Chinese New Year. The oldest festival in China is just two weeks away now, with the celebrations of the year of the horse taking place on the 31st January. If you’re gearing up for Chinese New Year or know someone in China who will be celebrating in two weeks time, choose RAND as your logistics company to send parcels to China.

On the eve of Chinese New Year, families will spring clean their homes in preparation for a new beginning. Once cleaning is over, everything used to clean is put away to symbolise the idea that good luck will not be brushed away. Once New Year s Eve arrives, families will host a large dinner with all sorts of traditional Chinese food. The theme of good luck is maintained as phrases wishing happiness and wealth are present across the household.

The night is filled with huge fireworks displays that are meant to scare away any evil spirits along with dragon costumes and red clothing. Children are given red envelopes by their parents and grandparents that contain treats and money, a further sign of prosperity and good luck. The festival continues for 15 days, concluding with a lantern procession at night.

Make sure you check out RAND Logistics range of services this Chinese New Year or contact us for more information about how we can get your parcels from A to B on a worldwide scale.

January – The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad

Earlier this week, Muslims across the world celebrated the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. Mawlid an-Nabi or “Birth of the Prophet” is an annual celebration that takes place in most countries with an Islamic population or culture. It is only observed by Muslims. The term Mawlid is used in countries such as Egypt to symbolise the birthday of many other religious and historical figures. Countries such as Egypt, Dubai and Morocco regularly observe Mawlid on January 14th as these countries host a large Islamic population.

Muslims observe this date by treating it as a national holiday. The celebrations are similar to that of “Eid”, with large firework displays, decorated crowds and prayers all dominating the schedule of the day. Friends and family will meet and share a meal together after gathering at a mosque for prayers. Many countries will show programmes that commemorate the event, especially in places like Egypt and the U.A.E. Interestingly, Saudi Arabians tend not to celebrate the birth of the prophet as it is not a significant date registered in the Qur’an.

Are you planning on sending something to a family member or friend to commemorate Mawlid an-Nabi? RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to the U.A.E and other countries that celebrate the event.  Take a look at our range of services or you can contact us for more information regarding your shipment.

The Australian Open and Australia Day

January is a very important month for those living in Australia with the Australian Open tennis tournament currently being held and Australia Day approaching on the 26th. Andy Murray will be hoping to build on a successful 2013 by winning the Australian Open after returning from injury, though the sweltering heat in Australia is something all the players are having to deal with at the moment.

australian_flag

The tournament is held in Melbourne during the last fortnight of January. The current champion, Novak Djokovic, is one of many world class tennis players that take part in the tournament, making it an excellent destination for tourists in January.

The national day of Australia marks the anniversary of the first arrival of British Ships to the shores of Australia. There are various community events to behold on the 26th of January whilst families often make the most of the special day by organising gatherings.  You may well have a relative staying in Australia who is preparing for Australia Day, in which case you can make the most of our international parcel delivery to Australia.

Need to get some forgotten sandals to a loved one in Australia this month? Maybe you need a postal service that’s a bit more local? Either way, makes the most of our services here at RAND Logistics, which includes both a collection and delivery service.

 

Coming of Age Day in Japan

Yesterday was Coming of Age Day in Japan, a national event that has been celebrated for over a thousand years. The ceremony surrounds a young prince’s passage into adulthood by wearing glamorous robes and being given a new hairstyle. Most of the young adults who attend Coming of Age Day in Japan are 20 years old, except for some who are actually 19 and have birthdays that are between April of last year and April of this year.

Coming of Age Day is a big thing in Japan, with government officials attending local offices to give out presents to the new adults. The women that celebrate the event are generally dressed in a style of kimono, though they will usually visit a beauty salon to look their best for the day. Many of these kimonos are passed down through generations as the traditional Coming of Age dress is particularly expensive. In most cases, the young adults will finish the day by heading out to parties or bars for the evening.

Do you need to ship a parcel to Japan? RAND Logistics offer a global service that includes both collection and delivery. If you know someone who is celebrating their coming of age today and you need to send a gift to Japan, you require our services here at RAND!

It’s OFFICIALLY 2014

Its January 13th so Happy New Year! Whilst it may seem a bit late to offer best wishes to 2014 in actual fact, this is the day that the old Gregorian calendar would celebrate the coming of the New Year. Many religions still treat today as the official turn of the year, so there’s an excuse to consider opening a bottle of champagne this evening! If you’re one of the few who may be celebrating New Year’s today instead, make sure you ship your gifts internationally using RAND!

Speaking of gifts, there may be many of you out there who have sorted your Christmas gifts and decided that a few of them just aren’t worth keeping. They might not be your thing or maybe you’ve got two of them already. Either way, you probably don’t want to let the person who gave it to you to know you’re selling them online. Take advantage of RAND Logistics services if your gift was something a bit more heavy-duty. We can pick items up from you and send them on their way, so you don’t have to sneak off to the post office!

If you’ve got any unwanted Christmas gifts lying around, get a quote from RAND today and ship your unwanted gifts internationally with us!