How to Shop Online Safely

Posted on July 29th, 2009 by aileen

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

No Comments (Post Comment)

Republish

The birth of the internet made many things possible. Everything is practically just a click away, even shopping. Gone are the days when people spend time among racks of shoes, clothing and books. We can now buy whatever we want online. Cool, right? Before you give out your precious credit card numbers, here are a few safety tips to remember when shopping online.

Choosing an Online Shop

Check the company profile. Know the company you’re buying from. Find out information like the company’s address, business registration and contact details. Don’t be satisfied with a post office box information. Find out the company’s physical location.
Find out what other people have to say about the company. Look for reviews and evaluations from customers. Some companies put up a space in their website where customers can leave comments. These will give you an idea on the company’s performance and customer satisfaction.
Look for seals of approval from other organizations. There are groups that regulate and monitor online shops. Companies put these third party seals when they follow an organization’s standards and protocols. Beware of scammers who put up seals just to lure customers on their site. Click on the seal and see if it links to the organization’s website. BBBOnline and Truste are some examples of these organizations.
Read the shop’s shipping method and other policies. Check if they have a tracking system that will allow you to know how long it would take before you receive your package and trace your shipment’s course.
Look for other costs. You may be billed for other expenses besides the price of your chosen item. Find out if you need to pay for things like packaging and delivery costs. You should be informed about these additional costs before you give out your credit card number. Know what you’re paying for and how much these cost.
Check for warranty and insurance. Does the company have product warranty and insurance? How about shipping insurance? What can the company do if your package gets damaged during shipping?
Read on return policies and agreements. If you are not satisfied with their service and product, will you be able to return this item or have them replaced? Are you going to pay for the shipping of a returned item? Will you get your money back?
Know when you’re going to pay. Will you be billed before or after the package has been delivered?

Payment Procedures

Read on their privacy policy. Will other people be able to access your details? What will they do with your information?
Check if the company’s site is secure. Before giving out any information, it’s very important to know how secure their online service is.
- You may look for a closed padlock image or an unbroken key on the bottom right of your screen. This may also be found within the address bar.
- You will also know that the page is secured when the website address changed from http to https. The ’s’ means that the website is secure.
- A window may also pop-up telling you that you’re entering a secured page.

Tips:

When you’ve decided to use the company’s service, make sure to give the right details to avoid other hassles.
There are credit card companies that offer online protection. Check if your credit card has it to protect yourself from unauthorized use of your card.
Record transaction details. Take note of the date and time the transaction was made, receipt number, order confirmation and the amount you have to pay. You may also just take a screenshot as proof of the transaction.
Online shops will usually just ask for certain data like your name, address, contact and credit card numbers. Never give your social security number.

The internet made shopping very easy. With all the advantages online shopping has, it’s not surprising that most people choose to shop online than to actually go to the mall. Be very cautious when doing transactions online. It won’t be anyone’s fault but yours if you get scammed.