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.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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