A Guide To Shop on-line safely
How to pick trustworthy on-line retailers and avoid scams and conmen
As an owner of a legitimate sales website that promotes one click, ease of use shopping and a simple and effective delivery system it make my blood boil when i see and hear of people making web-sites just to rip people off and steal money. I mean millions of people buy on-line every day without any problems, so with a bit of common sense and knowledge, you can avoid problems with e-commerce. This little guide is full of handy hints and tips on how to successfully buy goods on-line and any risks that may come with it:
Risks
- Buying goods that aren’t delivered.
- Goods which don’t match the description.
- Delays and hassles with online purchases.
- Poor after-sales service.
- Misuse of your credit or debit card details.
Deal with reputable sellers
- Pick good sellers, especially when buying from private individuals.
- Look for evidence of a physical address and telephone contact details.
- Don’t judge a person or company solely by their web site.
- Be especially cautious when buying from overseas companies.
- Check sellers’ privacy policy and returns policy.
- Use an appropriate, safe means of online payment to get some protection against non-delivery (see Make payments online safely).
Use a secure website
- Make sure you use a secure web site to enter credit card information. Look for a padlock symbol in the bottom right of the browser window and for the website address to begin with ‘https://’ (see Learn about secure web pages). If you get a warning about a certificate be very cautious indeed. However, the padlock is not an absolute guarantee of safety and it says nothing about the business’s ethics.
- Click on the padlock to check that the seller is who they say they are and that their certificate is current and registered to the right address.
- Don’t be fooled by a padlock that appears on the web page itself. It’s easy for conmen to copy the image of a padlock. You need to look for one that is in the window frame of the browser itself.
Beware scams
- If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Cross-check information on the internet and see if anyone else has had problems.
- Beware of work from home scams which promise easy profits but never pay.
- Buy from reputable companies.
- Be extremely wary of anything that is offered in an unsolicited or spam email.
Selling online
If you are a business selling online:
- Validate new customers and suppliers using published information (e.g. address or phone number).
- Obtain a credit status report before shipping goods on credit.
- E-commerce businesses are liable for any fraud on cards they accept (unless they are using ‘Verified by Visa’ or ‘Mastercard Sercurecode’. These systems can help protect businesses from chargebacks that result from fraud).
- Using the Address Verification System (AVS) and Card Security Code (CSC) checking systems will significantly reduce the risks from e-commerce fraud.
- Authorisation does not guarantee payment and so businesses must do all checks to validate the customer and delivery address.
More information
- If you have been a victim of fraud when buying online, see Deal with ecommerce fraud for advice.
I hope you enjoyed, it was just a little hints and tips blog on it and i hope you have found something usefull in there.
David Elcoate
www.buyonicprice.com
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