Shop Smart, Stay Safe, Online Shopping!!!
1. Why Shop Online?
Nielsen published statistics on the overall online shopping trends
- Over 875 Million Consumers Have Shopped Online - the Number of Internet
Shoppers Up 40% in Two Years.
The same study estimated that almost two-thirds of consumers have
made an online purchase.
It is estimated that online shopping accounts for about 8% of
retail sales in the United
States and continues to grow at about 10% a
year worldwide.
2. What are the advantages of online shopping?
A different Nielson Online Survey discovered the most important
factors people shop online are:
Ø
To
save time (77%)
Ø
To
comparison shop (61%)
Ø
To
find things easily (56%)
Ø
Low
prices (46%)
Ø
Free
shipping (24%)
3. What are the risks of online shopping?
Ø
Buying
goods that aren’t delivered.
Ø
Goods
which don’t match the description.
Ø
Delays
and hassles with online purchases.
Ø
Poor
after-sales service.
Ø
Misuse
of your credit or debit card details.
4. What are the Tips for Protecting Yourself?
Ø
Shop
From a Secure PC
If possible, avoid using the family PC that your teens or children
use to chat with their buddies and play games online. An infected system will
undermine all of the other precautions you might take to avoid online
fraud.
Before you start shopping online, make sure your system is running
with up-to-date anti-virus software, and that you're using a firewall to block
potential intruders. Just as important, be sure that your computer has the
latest security updates installed.
Ø
Shop
only at Sites You Know & Trust
Avoid search-engine shopping, which can often lead to random
merchants you've never heard of. For the safest and most hassle-free online
shopping experience, it's best to stick with merchants you know and trust. Most
importantly, make sure you have read and understand the merchant's shipping and
return policies before making any purchases.
Be sure to print a copy of each receipt or confirmation e-mail you
receive. Keep all of your receipts in a folder and filed away in a safe
place.
Never buy anything advertised via unsolicited e-mail. Such offers
are almost always a scam. Criminals even build attractive storefronts for fake
businesses that close up shop within days of accepting your online order.
Ø
Shop
with Your Credit Card
Most online merchants accept both credit and debit cards. While
debit card issuers have largely adopted that same approach, your bank account
could be overdrawn while you dispute fraudulent charges, particularly if you
don't notice the fraud immediately. Experts say credit cards still present less
potential for hassle when dealing with your financial institution should
unauthorized charges show up later on a monthly statement. Never shop at
sites that ask you to wire your payment or send money orders.
Ø
Consider
Alternative Payment Methods
For the truly fraud-wary online shopper, there are still plenty of
alternatives to entering your account number at multiple Web sites. Many
financial institutions and card issuers offer customers the ability to generate
unique, "virtual" or "one-time use" account numbers that
are good for a single transaction or a handful of specified transactions only
and cannot be reused.
Ø
Get a
Handle on Spam
If you worry that giving away your e-mail address at multiple
online merchants might wind up cluttering your inbox with more junk mail,
consider creating a new address for each new Web site that requires you to
enter one as part of the registration process. This allows you take action if a
merchant you're doing business with sells or rents your e-mail address to
marketers.
