Never Buy These 5 Products from the Internet

The Internet is literally the world's largest shopping mall, with every product imaginable for sale – and it's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can conveniently compare costs, look for coupon codes, and get your purchases shipped to your door without ever leaving your living room. You can also find much better prices online for many items.

Online and live video shopping has truly arrived, and convenience is undoubtedly a major factor in their skyrocketing success. You can buy anything – from a mattress to a mortgage – without leaving your house by clicking on a keyboard or tapping on a phone for a few minutes.

However, there are drawbacks to shopping online that you probably wouldn't come across in a physical store, such as counterfeit items, ill-fitting apparel, delivery problems, and even theft of your banking or credit card details.

Certain big transactions should always be done in-store, where you can test the product or discuss the service with an expert – unless, of course, you already know everything there is to know about the product you need to buy, in which case you should make the transaction online.

Experts believe that some goods, no matter how low the price, aren't worth purchasing online. Some of these are costly things, such as furniture and appliances, that aren't worth the risk of purchasing without seeing or testing them first. However, certain small products, such as fresh food and cosmetics, are better purchased in a supermarket.

Here are five things that you should purchase in person rather than online.

1. Art and Decor Items

Although it's never been easier to buy original art online at enticingly low prices, retail experts advise skipping these deals. Colour comparisons – what you see on your screen is never the same as the product in essence, detailing – whether you're buying a set of curtains or a decorative pillow, you can't determine the quality of the fabric or the durability of the design without handling the products in person. Aside from these advantages, you'll be able to discover more items and reduce refund fees by making a personal shop run.

2. Home Furnishings 

Purchasing furniture virtually has all of the same drawbacks as purchasing art or accessories. On a computer or a mobile screen, judging the colour and efficiency of a couch is just as difficult as judging the quality of a pillow, and it's even more important to get it right with such a large purchase. There are other benefits as well: you can save shipping costs, inspect the furniture for comfort, negotiate the price, and avoid return fees once more.

3. Bedspreads

Sleep is crucial to one's wellbeing, and the consistency of one's mattress has a huge effect on how well one sleeps. This isn't to say that the more expensive the mattress, the better. Mattress comfort is unique and personal to each individual; it is defined by a number of factors, including your height and weight, whether you sleep on your side or back, how often you shift about at night, and so on. Going through online reviews will give you a general understanding of how a mattress feels, which will help you narrow down the models to consider. However, you must experience it for yourself to know how it feels.

4. Musical Equipment or Instruments

If you're a professional musician, you should be careful of purchasing an instrument over the internet. Musical instruments are always expensive, and you need to know how they sound and feel in your hands before making such a large investment. The best way to do that is to play it and test it out. Even within trusted brands, tone and playability can differ widely, so relying on the brand name isn't enough.

5. Makeup Accessories

There's no excuse not to take advantage of a fantastic online sale on your favourite lipstick, which you already know you adore. When it comes to discovering new items, however, experts advise that shopping in-store is preferable. This helps you to reliably judge colours, sample items, consult with salespeople, and take advantage of incentive programmes.

Many consumers rely heavily on virtual shopping and live video shopping to purchase these items, but the truth is that even those are displayed with filters, which make them appear entirely different when viewed in natural light. As a result, it's important to make informed purchases.