Online shopping safety

Here are some online shopping safety tips to help your internet shopping experience a safe and happy one.

Use secure sites

Secure sites use encryption technology that scrambles your information while it's being transmitted. You can determine whether the site uses this technology by looking at your browser. The beginning of the address in the browser will have ‘https’ instead of ‘http’. This tells you the site is secure. You should also check the lock icon at the bottom right of your screen which should typically be in the lock position ensuring safety.

Research and shop around

Any company that you deal with must have a physical address along with a phone number. There should also be a customer service number or email address. Call them if possible. If you get no answer or an answering machine repeatedly, the website is most likely unreliable. If you email them and get no response or get an automated response, again, go elsewhere.

Read as much as you can about the site's security and privacy policies

Ensure that the site is secure after reading the fine print. This will tell you how legitimate the company is. A good privacy policy ensures that your personal information is safe and will not be sold to a third party. Their security policies should also be clear and precise, not vague or, worse, nonexistent. Run the site by Google to ensure authentication and read user comments, reviews and ratings other consumers have given.

Use your credit card rather than your debit card to make purchases

With a credit card payment, if something should go wrong and you are charged for items you didn't buy, you will be covered under the Fair Credit Billing Act. If it's determined that you did not, indeed, make the purchases, you are only responsible for $50 in charges. A credit card that is compromised must be cancelled and new card applied for. A fraud on the debit card is rarely covered.

Study the website's return policy carefully

There is always a chance that what you order will arrive damaged or is not as you expected. Check to see if the site has a good return and refund policy. Many e-commerce sites have a no-return and no-refund policy, so you want to cautious if you place an order with any of then.