SolveYourProblem Article Series: Online Shopping
Teach Me To Shop Smarter Online

Make Sure You Shop on a Secure Website
   

Online shopping can be a very rewarding, convenient and stress free way to shop however it is essential for customers who choose to go this route to make sure that they are indeed shopping on a secure website. This then begets the question - what is a secure website? A secure website is a website that makes use of a “method of encryption” which is uses to transfer data or information from one place on the Internet to another. Most we pages that are used for simple browsing purposes do not contain any sensitive information and therefore are not secured whereas web pages that contain sensitive personal information such as credit card websites for example, are for the most part, secured. It never hurts however to be as careful and as safe as possible when it comes to doing your shopping online.

The number one rule to protecting yourself and your personal information when shopping online is to guarantee that you are using a secure server and browser. This means that they must include industry security standards and you should know this for a fact before you go ahead and give out your privileged credit card information. The newer version your browser is, the more security you are afforded so if you are using a browser that is old take the time to update it.

There is a way to figure out if you are using a secure server or not. All you need to do is follow a few basic steps to make a proper determination. First of all, take a look at the address that appears in the address bar at the site. Be aware that it should read as “https” as opposed to “http” as many websites that are not secured do. Secondly draw your attention to the bottom of the Internet window and looked for something in the form of a closed padlock (when symbolizes locked for security). If for some reason the status bar at the bottom of the page is not evident, then promptly click on “view” and from then choose “status bar” to see what the situation is.

Keep in mind that if a “warning window” announces itself and tells you that the certificate has gone past its expiration date when you first enter a server that is deemed as secure, it is unwise to enter any of your sensitive personal data. In fact any time that warning bells go off in your head at all about a website, you are better off not entering any personal information whatsoever. It is highly recommended that you only shop with businesses that you are very familiar with. Bear in mind that anyone can put in place a “secure server” but the onus is on you to protect yourself from unscrupulous companies.

If you come across a company over the Internet that you are not familiar with but their products catch your eye, it is a good idea to do some research before you decide to order anything from them. First of all, take a look over the website and see if there is contact information listed for the company such as the name of the business, the address as well as the telephone number. Take the information you have and compare it with the information that is to be found on the domain register. Always double check to make sure the company in question has a return policy that suits your needs. You should also take things one step further and take the time to find out if any complaints have been filed against said company with either the Better Business Bureau or the National Association of Attorney Generals. Speaking of the Better Business Bureau, is the business a member of the Better Business Bureau Online or not? If the company is a member then it is more than likely that the company is legitimate.

It may be wiser to use a credit card to make purchases online as opposed to a debit card. Credit cards are afforded the protection of the Fair Credit Billing Act, which means that any charges can be disputed and investigated if the need arises. Under this act, if someone else uses your card without permission, as a consumer you may only have to pay a $50.00 charge and you can also protest charges that are not delivered as promised or ones that are damaged or inadequate. There is still little protection for individuals shopping online with a debit card, though this is changing rapidly as more consumers use them.

# # # # #

SolveYourProblem.com : 2007

> Home > Online Shopping: Main Page