Pinoy Bloggers Form E-Buyer's Guide Philippines

We are a team of Filipino bloggers working together to help keep the online shopping experience in social media websites like Facebook and Instagram safe and fun in the Philippines. Many online sellers use social media to market products and close transactions away from the limitations of a physical shop. The social market has grown considerably since 2010, when it began to pick up steam, and now, almost anything is available to Filipino consumers through the liberty of social media. Consumers find social commerce a great way to shop for hard to find items, while also saving money as these products are usually 10% cheaper than retail, all this in the comfort of the living room.

The uniqueness of the buying experience in the social market stems from the very concept of social media, which is to bridge the gap between two people and linking them in cyberspace. At no time in our history has it been easier to connect with store owners and get feedback from other customers than today with the advent of the social market. Where free market is sovereign, a dark side also exists. There never was a lack of unscrupulous individuals who profit by making a fast one on unsuspecting victims, and the villains are more sophisticated than ever.

The currency of the social market is trust, and although it is difficult to build trust in an online environment, it is wrong to assume that it is impossible for con artists to imitate its looks. Indeed most of those who fall victim to their schemes are lured through the illusion of trustworthiness. Negative public opinion on the social market may soon reach critical levels where the average person would only see the social market as a medium where outlaws are engaged in unbridled swindling therefore causing mass abandonment of this potentially lucrative undertaking. 

Awareness is our primary tool in smoking out these bandits and by focusing the light on legitimate social media shops while advising the public of the potential danger of dealing with known truants we hope that our work will promote positive attitude towards commerce through social media. Our goal is to increase economic activity in this new market without compromising security. Let us make Online Shopping safe and fun in the Philippines.