Making Every Online Shopping Experience a Safe One
With the skyrocketing price of gasoline, more and more people are turning to the Internet for a majority of their shopping needs. The problem is that not every online storefront is as secure as it should be. It seems like every week there is a new story about some company getting their online customer database hacked and while there isn't much we can do about that, there are some common sense tips you can follow to stay safe during your next online shopping experience.
Know who you shop with
While one of the best parts of online shopping is discovering new retailers that may be thousands of miles away from you, the truth is that the better established a merchant is, the more they likely spend on keeping your information safe and secure. Web giants like Amazon.com spend millions each year on software, hardware and maintenance so logic dictates that shopping there is likely going to be safer than with a mom and pop retailer. The federal government actually keeps track of online identity theft and safe shopping at www.consumer.gov. If you want to try a retailer for the first time, check them out and see if they are worthy of your business before you give them your personal information.
Do your homework
While it can be a bit time consuming, the best way to really see if an online merchant is on the up and up is to read their return policies and make sure they give you an estimated time for delivery. The sites that tend to be vague about this information are the ones that are out to take advantage of you and your personal information. If you have questions, check to see if they have a toll free number you can call and speak to a live person. If not, this is likely a red flag that you should avoid this retailer and move on.
Always pay with a credit card
Since more and more credit cards are being used for online shopping each and every day, many of the top companies now offer theft coverage that will reimburse you should your card get stolen. Your web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera) will signal you that your order is being protected with the appearance of a key or small padlock in the corner of your browser. The web bar should shift to an "https" instead of "http" url. The "s" stands for secure. If the order page you are using isn't secure, don't input any personal information. There is either a site malfunction or the retailer you are using isn't on the up and up.
You can also use services like PayPal to ensure that you don't have to give your credit card information to an unscrupulous site.
Watch your statement
The excuse of only being able to check your credit card statement once every 30 days is no longer valid. Thanks to the Internet, we are now able to check our statements whenever we want, so if suspicious activity begins to show up, you can locate it and stop it right away. It might be a good idea to check your statement more frequently immediately after you completed an online purchase. That way, you can double check to see if you were charged correctly and that there aren't any unauthorized charges afterwards.
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