Shop Safely Online: Purchasing Pitfalls to Avoid
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Posted On :
Mar-29-2010
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Article Word Count :
844
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Online shopping is easier today than it has ever been. From books and movies to household appliances and even groceries, you can buy nearly anything on the web. With so many online retailers, it is also a terrific way to get great deals on many products.
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Online shopping is easier today than it has ever been. From books and movies to household appliances and even groceries, you can buy nearly anything on the web. With so many online retailers, it is also a terrific way to get great deals on many products. Driving all over town to compare prices has been replaced with a few simple mouse clicks.
Despite all of the advantages to online shopping, many people are hesitant to start making purchases on the web because of scam artists and identity theft. Certainly there is something to these worries, but by taking a few simple precautions you can be sure that your personal information will be safe and your purchase will be completed with no problems. Here are a few tips on how to be a safe online shopper.
Know Your Seller
If you are buying directly from a company, make sure it is a reputable business. Is it a company you have heard of before? Do they have a real “brick and mortar” location that you can call or go to if there are any problems? Sometimes a great deal really is too good to be true. If you have any hesitation about a company’s legitimacy, just do your online shopping somewhere else.
There are far too many perfectly good online sellers to take a risk on an unknown. Trust your instincts. You can also search the internet for customer evaluations of their online shopping experiences. If you are buying something from an online auction site, check to see what the seller’s user ratings are. The more positive reviews that a seller has, the more likely it is that you will have no problems making your transaction.
Do They Use Encryption?
Only buy from websites that use encryption technology to hide your personal data. Encryption is when an algorithm encodes your information so that no one but the seller, who has the key to the code, can see your private info. That way, for example, if a hacker tries to hijack your credit card information it will just come up as scrambled nonsense.
You can tell if a seller uses encryption by looking at the web address bar on the page where you enter your credit card information. Is there an “s” after the “”? If the web address starts with “https://,” that means that your information will be securely encrypted when it is transferred to the seller. Also, keep an eye out for a tiny padlock graphic, which will be located either on the right side of the address bar, or else on the lower right hand corner of the browser window.
Look for Outside Verification
You are not the only one out there worried about the legitimacy of online businesses. Luckily, there are many third-party organizations that will put their seal of approval on websites that have met their rigorous standards of excellence. Look for these seals before you make your purchase and make sure you follow the link to the organizations website to make sure it is legitimate Many of these third-party groups will make sure that your personal information is safe. They set standards for trust in the online marketplace and denounce substandard business behavior. If a website has passed the criteria to be approved by one of these verification organizations, you can feel confident that you are making a wise online shopping decision.
Update Your Web Browser
Those annoying reminders that you need to update your web browser are actually pretty handy when it comes to making sure you are shopping safely. As computer hackers and identity thieves get smarter and learn how to get around filters, so also do the browser designers modify their product to outwit these criminals.
Many browsers will use what is called Extended Validation (EV) Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates. These certificates do several things. For starters, they are another way to make sure that your information is transferred securely. This also includes information on the owner of the website and tells you if they have been checked out and approved by the Certification Authority that gave out the SSL Certificate. Keep your browser updated and stay one step ahead of the scamsters.
Use a Filter
Most contemporary web browsers offer filters that you can turn on and off to warn you of suspicious websites. If a website has had complaints of “phishing” the filter will block your browser from accessing it. Phishing is when someone pretends to be a legitimate company in order to steal sensitive information like credit card or social security numbers. Be wary of websites that your filter flags as being suspected of identity theft. If the browser blocks it, it means something is fishy.
By keeping your wits about you, knowing who you are buying from, and utilizing the latest in information security technology, you can finally feel confident in taking advantage of the ease, variety, and savings available by shopping online.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Shop Safely Online: Purchasing Pitfalls to Avoid_14980.aspx
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Author Resource :
Rob Reed is a freelance writer who writes about product reviews and offers tips about how best to shop.
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Keywords :
shop,
Category :
Business
:
Business
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