Buying from online shops, telemarketers and mail order companies - learning materials
Description of assignment
- The assignment is suitable as a classroom assignment, and it can be complete either alone or in pairs. The assignment can be expanded into e.g. a poster assignment, in which students create a joint gallery of online shops and related consumer skills.
- OPS content and target areas: Life management and coping in everyday life (S1), think about the importance and consequences of your own financial choices (T2) Responsible consumption (T8).
- Time estimate for completing the assignment: 1–2 lessons, depending on whether the results are presented to the class.
Buying from online shops, telemarketers and mail order companies
Select an interesting online store from the web. You can use a search engine to find a product that you would like to purchase. You will not be examining a single product, but instead the entire online shop website. The online shop may be specialised in fashion, electronics, games, or other goods, and it may be Finnish or foreign.
In addition, examine the instructions on Suomi.fi for shopping online, by telemarketing or mail order and assess the online shop in the light of this information.
1. What is the online shop you viewed?
2. Are the contact details for the online shop, instructions on how to contact customer service and, for example, information on the country from which the shop sends its products easily available on the website?
3. What conclusions can you draw on the reliability of the site? On what grounds?
4. Can you find the terms and conditions of return on the website of the online store? Do they comply with distance selling laws that apply in Finland? Please also note who is responsible for the postal charges for any returns?
5. Examine the online shop’s payment options. What payment options are available? Do the payment options seem safe? How has the website ensured payment security?
6. Do the purchases made from this online store need to be declared?
In-depth assignment
7. Assess the impacts of shopping from this online shop from the perspective of ethics, ecology and the local economy! Do the online shop’s website include information on the store's values and responsibility?