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Online shopping in the United States equaled $65B in 2004, and
predictions for 2008 expect that figure to rise to $117B. The
internet can be a shopper's dream; however, you need to know how
to shop safely and securely. Below are some considerations you
should take into account before you make an online purchase.
Is the web site reputable?
If you are shopping on a site that you are not familiar with,
take the time to do a little homework before you share any
sensitive personal information. Check the site to see if there
is a third-party seal of approval posted from a trusted source
like the Better Business Bureau Online, or Trust-E. The stamp of
approval from these organizations means the web site has agreed
to be held to strict standards in how they handle personal
information, as well as customer complaints.
Sites such as BizRate.com or Epinions.com may have information
about various sites along with customer reviews. You can also
enter the name of the web site or business into your favorite
search engine to see what comes up. If someone has had a bad
experience with the site, it may be mentioned in a user forum or
consumer information site.
Is the web site using secure technology?
When information is transferred between your computer and the
shopping site's server, it should be encrypted. If a shopping
site's server uses encryption technology, your data will be
scrambled and then unscrambled when it reaches the shopping
site's server. Encryption prevents unscrupulous hackers from
capturing the information during transmission.
There are two things to look for to ensure that your personal
data will be encrypted.
· An icon of a small locked padlock will appear in the bottom
right of your monitor's screen. · The URL of the web page should
begin with https, which also indicates that it is a secure web
page.
Before you click on the checkout button, know your shipping
costs.
A reputable site will make their shipping costs easy to find
before you check out. To avoid any unpleasant surprises take the
time to look for shipping rates. Data collected from surveys of
online shopping experiences consistently show that the one thing
online shoppers dislike above all is shipping charges. While it
is unavoidable that you have to absorb the cost of shipping one
way or another, smart retailers will try to keep these costs to
a minimum. Sometimes they will do this creatively by offering
you incentives to purchase more, to help offset their costs for
discounted shipping charges.
Moreover, while reputable sites will have a liberal return
policy in the event you are not happy with your merchandise, be
aware that in most cases you will not be reimbursed for the
shipping charges to return the item.
Understand the return policy.
Never purchase anything from a web site without reading the fine
print - particularly the fine print about its return policy.
Good retail sites will allow you to return items you are not
completely happy with, but sometimes there are stipulations that
you should be aware of before you order.
Is there a restocking fee? This charge can be anywhere from
5%-20% of an item's purchase price, and is meant to discourage
customers from returning merchandise. In addition, make sure you
know how much time you have to return an item in order to
receive a refund. Some companies seem to allow an almost
unlimited return window, but in some cases, it can be as little
as one week after you receive your order. You may still be able
to return an item after this period, but will only receive a
store credit instead of a full refund.
Following the above suggestions will help you to shop online
with confidence. As time goes on, there will be an unbelievable
variety of merchandise and web sites to shop. Nevertheless, you
need to shop securely, read the fine print, and then enjoy the
savings and convenience of online shopping.
For more information about online shopping, visit
http://www.onlineshoppinginfoguide.com
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