Guide to Shopping Online More Safely

Shopping can be fun and easy in a well-designed online store open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Sometimes too fun and easy!)

As you shop online, however, you may worry about never getting what you paid for, the theft of your credit card number, or unwittingly sharing your private information or worse. And then there are dangers that you may never have imagined, such as downloading spyware. Follow the guidelines below to help reduce your risk of being defrauded or cheated, and make shopping online the good time it can be. We Recomend Shopping Online using our Shopping Search Engine. Just enter the product name and click search, giving you the best prices and Reputable online Businesses.

Shop at Reputable Online Businesses

Make sure you're buying from a business you can count on to deliver the goods. If you don't know the business by reputation—a trusted brand or bricks-and-mortar store, for example—do a little research first.

• Do a background check. Look for an address (not a post office box!), request a catalog by mail, or call and talk to a company representative.
• Explore the Web site for third-party seals of approval such as: BBBOnLine (Better Business Bureau Online) or TRUSTe. Companies can put the seal on their sites if they abide by the rigorous standards—such as how complaints and disputes will be resolved and how personal information can be used. (When you click on the logo, it should go to the appropriate validating Web site.) If you don't readily see these seals on the site, a good place to look is in the privacy policy or "Terms & Conditions" which should be clearly posted on the site.
• Find out what other shoppers have to say about an online store on comparison sites such as http://www.epinions.com/ or http://www.top5websites.com/shopping. These sites have customer evaluations built right into their design with a number of smiley faces or stars.

Keep Your Personal Information Private

Of course, online merchants are in the business of selling you stuff; but they may also be in the business of collecting information about you and your browsing and shopping habits—in part to make your shopping experience more convenient, and in part because they want to sell you more. Here are some guidelines for keeping the balance in your favor.

What Do Online Merchants Ask For?

Some of the information merchants gather—credit card number, address and telephone number, and so on—is necessary to complete the transaction. Some personal information—what you purchase, shipping address, clothing sizes, wish list items, for example—may allow the merchant to fit your experience to your preferences when you shop next. Or, it can save you the work of retyping.

Finally, many online stores propose to send you special offers or notify you of related products and services from other companies. That can often mean sharing or selling your name, your e-mail address, and perhaps other information to companies (whose privacy policies you won't have the opportunity to review).

Some Web sites ask for information up front in forms you fill out or offer options you choose by checking boxes. Making this choice is known as 'opting in' or 'opting out' of receiving these offers. However, some information is captured behind the scenes through the use of cookies. (For example, sometimes just by buying something, you tacitly opt in.) And freebies, such as free trials, are becoming a popular way to plant spyware on computers.

What Can You Do to Help Protect Yourself?

Make sure you don't give out sensitive information unless it's absolutely necessary to complete the transaction, and make sure that the site is responsible about using and sharing the information you do give.

Review the privacy statement before you shop. A privacy statement tells you how and why a business is collecting your information, and how it plans to use it. Ideally it will be written in a clear, straightforward manner, but be prepared for legal jargon.

Look for the privacy policy (or statement) at the very bottom of the home page (if not every page). You may also find it within a site's "Terms & Conditions" or "Terms of Use." As an example, you can click to review Microsoft's Privacy Statement at the very bottom of this page—and every page on any Microsoft Web site.

Make sure the merchant's privacy policy also details:

Be cautious about the personal information you disclose. Before you reveal any information, ask yourself if the Web site needs it. Address and credit card number, will most likely be required (but only on a secure page!). But be wary of giving your social security number, mother's maiden name, bank account number, or other such information. If a question seems too invasive, skip it. If the merchant then prevents you from shopping, take your business elsewhere.

Check those boxes. When you set up an account or finalize a sale at check out, put on those magnifying eyeglasses, and carefully review any checks in boxes. Some sites assume the right to share your information and check the boxes for you. Responsible Web sites will give you a way to opt out.

Steps to Help Keep Your Data Secure

Naturally, you want to make sure that no one steals your credit card number—or your identity—when you shop online.

Make sure that you're buying over a secure computer (server), and that you use a browser that supports 128-bit encryption, the strongest available today. Encryption translates your personal data, like credit card numbers, into something like a secret code as it is transmitted over the Web. If a Web site is using secure technology, its Web address begins with https and a tiny locked padlock appears at the bottom right of the screen.

Write a strong password, and keep it secret. If an online merchant asks you to set up a password, create one that will be difficult for someone else to figure out. This rules out your husband's birthday, your phone number, your dog's name, etc. Use six or more (more is better!) randomly chosen uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a different password for each account or site.

Choose a safe way to pay. According to the National Consumer's League or econsumer.gov, credit cards are the safest way to pay because your liability is limited in most countries. Also because the funds are not immediately withdrawn from your account, you have some recourse if your shopping experience goes awry. However, if you're shopping from a secure site, there's less chance your card number can be stolen. We recommend PayPal.

Use one-click shopping cautiously. With one-click shopping, the Web site stores your credit card, billing address, and other such personal information, so that when you're ready to pay, one click of the mouse completes the sale. It's incredibly convenient. But if you share your computer or are shopping from a public computer, log off as soon as you complete the transaction. Otherwise you may find someone else's diamond bracelet or high-definition TV billed to your credit card.

Check the Fine Print Before You Buy

Review the return policy. Since you can't touch the merchandise before you buy it, if an online store doesn't have a return policy, consider shopping elsewhere. If there is a return policy, make sure you understand the conditions under which the company will pay the shipping costs for returns.

Watch out for hidden costs. Look for prohibitive shipping and out-of-line 'handling' costs, local taxes, and customs and excise duties if you are shopping abroad, and so on.

Review the warranty. This is particularly important if you're making a long-term investment, such as electronic gear.

Print a copy of your order. A printed copy of your order, including the confirmation number or message, will act as your receipt.

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