You claim to have a mile-long shopping list. You’re pressed for time and hesitant to shop online because of this.
Fear not! For last-minute shopping needs, the Internet is the ideal resource. And now that the holiday shopping season is almost here, it’s a good idea to brush up on online shopping security. If you know what you’re doing, shopping online is no riskier than going to the neighbourhood mall—and it’s much simpler to locate a parking place and meilleur prix au cameroun.
The biggest concern when purchasing online is the possibility of your credit card information being stolen or misplaced. In a poll conducted in June 2007 for MODASolutions, 80 percent of participants said that having access to “a safe and secure online payment option” was the most crucial consideration.
Get familiar with recognising a secure website transaction.
Reputable online retailers utilise payment processing tools that automatically encrypt sensitive information like credit card numbers, making it nearly impossible for thieves to acquire such data. Fortunately, it’s simple to determine whether a certain transaction is being performed safely when you shop online.
How? Read on.
When you are prepared to check out, two things ought to occur. The first is that the URL for the website should change from http:// to https:// at the beginning. This area of the website is secure, as indicated by the “s” there. (If you continue to shop and add things to your online shopping cart but don’t see the “s,” don’t worry. You don’t need to secure the transaction until you’re about to check out and submit your payment and personal information.)
If you’re using Internet Explorer, you should also see a padlock icon on the right side of the Internet Address bar.
Make use of a credit card when shopping online.
When buying online, a credit card is considerably safer than a debit card since you’re covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act (if you’re a U.S. customer) and because you can dispute charges with the credit card company if you think a transaction was fraudulent. Consider using a different credit card just for online purchases, and keep a close eye on it, for added piece of mind.
Avoid saving personal information or credit card data in any online store accounts.
To make it simpler for them to notify you of special offers, many online businesses urge you to register. If you’re interested, that’s great, but don’t give in to the temptation of “convenience” by allowing them to save your credit card information as well. It is best if as few persons as possible have access to such sensitive data.
Make use of a unique email address.
Use a different, free email address for your online activity to protect your privacy. It’s simple to get a new email address if your inbox is overflowing with messages or if spammers have obtained your address.
Save every receipt.
You will get email order confirmations and receipts when you shop online. Double-check them for accuracy, and preserve them until you’re positive that the order was completed correctly and that you won’t need to return anything (perhaps in a different folder in your Inbox).
Have faith in your gut.
Just avoid ordering from a website if you have any doubts about it, especially if anything appears too good to be true or the site comes off as overly pushy or unprofessional. There are undoubtedly millions of internet merchants that carry the items you’re looking for, and they’re all just a click away.
