Many people nowadays seriously consider shopping online as an option. Shopping with just the click of a mouse is quite convenient especially if you are not a fan of weekend window shopping. However,as much as advancement in technology makes our lives easier, it brings with it numerous concerns-some that literally threaten our dear lives. The internet is one of the greatest inventions so far, but it is just like an African open-air market full of mad men-hackers.
The question is,do we stop using the internet? The answer is obviously NO. We can only put in place measures that will ensure our online security. This page is dedicated to ensuring that you do not lose your hard earned cash nor your identity to fraudsters. In regard of that, below are things you should consider the next time you go shopping online.
NB. The first fundamental way to check whether a website is secure is to check for;
(a) a closed padlock displayed at the
bottom of your screen. If that lock is open, you
should assume it is not a secure site.
(b) an unbroken key at the bottom of the page
(c) a https://
At the top of your screen where
the Website address is displayed, you should
see https://. The "s" that is displayed after "http"
indicates that Web site is secure. Often, you do
not see the "s" until you actually move to the
order page on the Web site.
1.Shop from companies you already know.
If
the company is unfamiliar, try to get info on their services
before buying their products. If by any chance you get to buy
something from an unknown company, start out
with buying a cheap product for purposes of risk reduction.
2. Check the company's contact details and try them out.
Reliable companies should advertise their
physical business address and at least one phone
number, either customer service or an order line.
Call the phone number and ask questions to
determine if the business is legitimate. Many legitimate companies have a
"live" answering service, especially if they don't
want to miss orders.
3. Ask how the merchant
handles returned merchandise and complaints.
Find out if it offers full refunds or only store
credits.
4. Shop using your Credit card.
The safest way to shop on the Internet is with a
credit card. In case something goes wrong,
you are protected under the Fair Credit
Billing Act. You have the right to dispute charges
on your credit card, and you can withhold
payments during a creditor investigation. When it
has been determined that your credit was used
without authorization, you are only responsible
for the first $50 in charges. You are rarely asked
to pay this charge. It is also important that you obtain one credit card
that you use only for online payments to make it
easier to detect wrongful credit charges.
Make sure your credit card is a true credit card
and not a debit card, a check card, or an ATM
card. As with checks, a debit card exposes your
bank account to thieves. Your checking account
could be wiped out in minutes. Further, debit and
ATM cards are not protected by federal law to the
extent that credit cards are.
Online shopping by check leaves you vulnerable
to bank fraud. And sending a cashier's check or
money order doesn't give you any protection if
you have problems with the purchase.
Never pay for online purchases by using a money
transfer service. You could be transferring cash
to a fraudster. Fraudsters will always ask consumers to
send them payment using a money transfer
service such as Western Union or Money Gram
because they can get your cash fast and it’s
difficult to trace them. Legitimate sellers normally do
not ask consumers to send payment that way.
Money transfer services should only be used to
send money to people that you know well, not to
unknown sellers of merchandise online.
5. Read the Web Site's Privacy and Security
Policies.
Every reputable online Web site offers
information about how it processes your order. It
is usually listed in the section entitled “Privacy
Policy.” You can find out if the merchant intends
to share your information with a third party or
affiliate company. Do they require these
companies to refrain from marketing to their
customers? If not, you can expect to receive
“spam” (unsolicited email) and even mail or
phone solicitations from these companies.
You can also learn what type of information is
gathered by the Web site, and how it is — or is
not — shared with others. The online merchant’s
data security practices are also often explained in
the Privacy Policy, or perhaps a separate Security
Policy.
However, be aware that a strong privacy policy
and membership in a Web-seal program don’t
guarantee that the Web merchant will protect your
privacy forever. Policies can change.
6. Be Aware of Cookies and Behavioral
Marketing.
Online merchants as well as other sites watch your
shopping and surfing habits by using "cookies,"
an online tracking system that attaches pieces of
code to our Internet browsers to track which sites
we visit as we search the Web.
"Persistent" cookies remain stored on your
computer while "per-session" cookies expire
when you turn the browser off. Online merchants
use cookies to recognize you and speed up the
shopping process the next time you visit. You
may be able to set your browser to disable or
refuse cookies but the tradeoff may limit the
functions you can perform online, and possibly
prevent you from ordering online.
Privacy advocates worry that as more and more
data is compiled about us — without our
knowledge or active consent — it will be
combined to reveal a detailed profile, even our
actual identities. This data is often collected to
market goods and services to us, encouraging us
to buy them. There are a number of companies
that specialize in targeted online advertising
called "behavioral marketing." Companies say
consumers benefit by being exposed to more
targeted advertising and that online merchants
can make more money more efficiently by
targeting the right shoppers.
Fortunately, there are several ways that you may be able to
defeat dynamic pricing. Obviously, do not log in
to a site before you obtain a price quote. Be sure
to clear the cookies from your browser before
you visit a site. Visit sites from different browsers
(Internet Explorer, Firefox, and others). Utilize
price comparison sites that check prices from
multiple vendors. Finally, if you do log in to a
site, try leaving items in your shopping cart for a
few days, to see if the merchant offers any
discounts.
7. Disclose Only the Bare Facts When You
Order
When placing an order.
There is certain
information that you must provide to the web
merchant such as your name and address. Often,
a merchant will try to obtain more information
about you. They may ask questions about your
leisure lifestyle or annual income. This
information is used to target you for marketing
purposes. It can lead to "spam" or even direct
mail and telephone solicitations.
Don't answer any question you feel is not
required to process your order. Often, the web
site will mark which questions need to be
answered with an asterisk (*). Should a company
require information you are not comfortable
sharing, leave the site and find a different
company for the product you seek.
8. Keep Your Password Private
Many online shopping sites require the shopper
to log-in before placing or viewing an order. The
shopper is usually required to provide a
username and a password.
Never reveal your password to anyone. When
selecting a password, do not use commonly
known information, such as your birth date,
mother's maiden name, or numbers from your
driver's license or Social Security number. Do not
reuse the same password for other sites,
particularly sites associated with sensitive
information. The best password has at least eight
characters and includes numbers and letters.
9. Check the Web Site Address and avoid links in E-mails.
Above the web site at the top of your screen is a
rectangular window that contains the web site
address (also called the URL, or Uniform
Resource Locator). By checking that address, you
can make sure that you are dealing with the
correct company.
Don’t click on any link embedded within a
potentially suspicious email to combat phishing. Instead, start a new
Internet session by typing in the link’s URL into
the address bar and pressing “Enter” to be sure
you are directed to a legitimate web site. Don't Fall for "Phishing" messages.
Identity thieves send massive numbers of emails
to Internet users that ask them to update the
account information for their banks, credit cards,
online payment service, or popular shopping
sites. The email may state that your account
information has expired, been compromised or
lost and that you need to immediately resend it to
the company.
Some emails sent as part of such “phishing”
expeditions often contain links to official-looking
Web pages. Other times the emails ask the
consumer to download and submit an electronic
form.
Remember, legitimate businesses don’t ask for
sensitive information via email. Don’t respond to
any request for financial information that comes
to you in an email. Again, don’t click on any link
embedded within a suspicious email, and always
call the retailer or financial institution to verify
your account status before divulging any
information.
10. Always Print or Save Copies of Your Orders
After placing an order online.
You should receive
a confirmation page that reviews your entire
order. It should include the costs of the order,
your customer information, product information,
and the confirmation number.
We recommend you print out or save a copy of
the Web page(s) describing the item you ordered
as well as the page showing company name,
postal address, phone number, and legal terms,
including return policy. Keep it for your own
records for at least the period covered by the
return/warranty policy.
Often you will also receive a confirmation
message that is e-mailed to you by the merchant.
Be sure to save and/or print this message as well
as any other e-mail correspondence with the
company.
11. Pay Attention to Shipping Facts.
Under the law, a company must ship your order
within the time stated in its ad. If no time frame is
stated, the merchant must ship the product in 30
days or give you an "Option Notice." This gives
you an opportunity to cancel the order and
receive a prompt refund, or agree to the delay.
Here are key shipping questions to ask:
Does the site tell you if there are geographic or
other restrictions for delivery?
Are there choices for shipping?
Who pays the shipping cost?
What does the site say about shipping insurance?
What are the shipping and handling fees, and are
they reasonable?
12. Learn the Merchant's Cancellation, Return
and Complaint-Handling Policies.
Even under the best of circumstances, shoppers
sometimes need to return merchandise. Check
the Web site for cancellation and return policies.
Be sure to check for the following:
Who pays for shipping?
Is there a time limit or other restrictions to the
return or cancellation?
Is there a restocking charge if you need to cancel
or return the order?
Do you get a store credit, or will the company
fully refund your charges to your credit card? If
the merchant only offers store credits, find out
the time restriction for using this credit
Does the merchant post a phone number and/or
e-mail address for complaints?
How long has the company been in business?
Will they still be around when you need them?
Is there an easy, local way for you to get repairs
or service?
Is there a warranty on the product, and who
honors that guarantee?
What are the limits, and under what
circumstances can you exercise your warranty
rights?
Don't expect less customer service just because a
company operates over the Internet. This is
especially important if you are buying something
that may need to be cleaned or serviced on
occasion.
More tips will be added with time.
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