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E-$hopping |
What do you know about shopping on-line, cyber shopping, digital shopping or e-shopping?
What are some of the benefits of shopping through the internet?
What are some of security issues you need to be aware of to safely shop on-line?
E-shopping is an convenient way to help you save time, money and energy.
You have an almost unlimited choice and selection of products.
Unfortunately, it is not 100% safe and can cause extra worrying.
The world wide web provides an excellent area for businesses to advertise and sell their products.
Most of these businesses have good reputations.
However there is also a lot of people who use the internet to commit fraud.
These online shop lifters try to rip off businesses using stolen credit cards and committing identity theft.
There are also con artists who pretend to be a business and scam unsuspecting customers.
You need to be aware of these problems and know the risks involved.
Some of the potential risks are draining your bank account, buying items using your name and ruining your credit rating.
Top Ten Tips for E-shopping 1. Research the company to find out if it is a reliable site (ex. check out sites that track online businesses and take complaints Biz Rate, Better Business Bureau ). If you are unsure a good rule of thumb is to phone the number provided. If there is no phone number available take it as a sign that they may not be a trustworthy site. Also if there is no physical address given this is another clear warning NOT to shop at this site. To be safe you can call or fax in your order. 2. Keep a record of your purchases. This could be stored in your email "Keeper" folder, on a spreadsheet or in a binder. Make sure you include the business name (URL), product, item number, date (purchased and estimated time of arrival). You should automatically print out the verification/confirmation numbers of the sale as a hardcopy of the purchase. A reliable company will email you and remind you to print out a "hard copy" for evidence if your purchase is not delivered. 3. Never buy from the companies that send you SPAM (known as junk e-mail). This only encourages them to continue sending you hundreds of unwanted junk e-mails. This junk mail overloads your inbox and wastes your time and energy everyday when you have to delete them. Most of these businesses are not reliable and sell counterfeit, defective or illegal products. Also you should not unsubscribe yourself from their mailing lists as this reports you as a valid email that they can continue to SPAM. 4. If you find a reliable business and product online make sure you use a Credit Card that has online shopping guarantees. If the web site turns out to be a fraud a credit card company offers you some protection and is better at tracking down crooks. It is possible to get temporary credit cards that have limited use. Also use cards that let you easily review your transactions online. 5. Be sure that the web site is secure before you give any personal information. If they are asking you for information that is not necessary, be on guard. When you are making a purchase there is no reason why they need your social insurance number, driver's license pic number, birth date, mother's maiden name, or your bank account number. All they need is enough information to verify that your credit card is valid and shipping information. Do not be fooled by an official banner and logo because anybody can cut and paste these items onto a web page. 6. Make sure you never give anyone your password. Be careful not to use general passwords that someone can easily guess. It should be original and uncommon such as a letter number and symbol combinations. You should actually have different passwords for your various secure sites. Store all your passwords in a safe place. 7. Make sure you purchase items from secure web sites with encryption protection. These web sites show a small symbol of a key/lock at the bottom of your browser window; their addresses start with https (the extra "s" stands for "secure"), and a pop up box gives you a warning the moment you make your purchase. 8. Like any other product purchase make sure you read the "fine print." If you do not read it carefully you may be giving your permission to the company to sell your email address. The web site should clearly state its privacy agreements, terms of sale, and security/satisfaction/return policies. 9. If you are purchasing items through online auctions such as E-Bay make sure you use the built-in protection services that are available. There is a big difference between a private sale and a business sale. 10. USE COMMON SENSE. If it sounds like a steal of a deal, you may be the one who is robbed. Be an informed online consumer not a victim. |
Below is an example of an email confirmation.
From : <customer_service@fitnessquest.com>
Your request for the AB LOUNGE ULTIMATE is being processed and will
be shipping If you have any questions about your AB LOUNGE ULTIMATE please contact
our Fitness Quest appreciates your business.
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Page Last Updated:
April 12, 2006 1:00 PM
