Shopping online is the greatest thing to come along since canned beer but there are some risks involved. We’ve all heard the horror stories about people’s credit card information being stolen and orders never fulfilled. Fortunately, these are isolated problems for the most part and we can take steps to ensure satisfaction when we do our shopping over the internet. Here are five tips to keep in mind the next time you’re ready to pull the trigger on an online purchase:
1. Make sure the internet connection is safe and secure.
If the web site where you are entering your credit card information begins with “http” or “https” then you’re going to be in good shape. These sites automatically use Secure Sockets Layer which is a service that encrypts credit card information. If you’re using a site that doesn’t begin with either of those sets of letters than you should wait to see a pop-up indicating that the site uses SSL. If you don’t get either of these indicators then take your business elsewhere.
2. Know the seller.
If you’re considering buying something but you have never heard of the seller then you should consult the Better Business Bureau to check their reputation. A surefire way to know that you’re dealing with a shady company is if they sent you an unsolicited email. These are companies with a bad reputation for scamming customers.
3. Be sure you’re getting the latest update on your purchase order.
Many companies will be slow to update their online catalogues. Use your refresh button or even call the company if you believe there is an updated price on the item you’re looking to buy that’s cheaper than the one advertised.
4. Investigate before you purchase.
Make sure that you know exactly what you’re buying. If you go ahead and purchase something and you receive something totally different than what you were looking for you will be sad when you find out there’s very little you can do.
5. Print out your receipt. This is a crucial step for the online shopper. Many of us will skip that last step on the screen where it tells us to print out our receipts. Even if you don’t print it out you should at least email it to yourself. In the digital world of shopping this may be your only way to lay claim to a product or service that wasn’t delivered and you want your money back.
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