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Online Shopping for Newbies
Everyone is talking about online shopping. It's easy and takes a
lot less gas and hassle than a trip to the mall. Online shopping
puts unbelievable choice right at your fingertips. From large
department stores to specialized boutiques, the latest designer
fashions and closeout specials, it's all there. You'll find
toys, high-end art and collectibles, cutting edge computers and
electronics, flea market finds and auctions galore. In fact, you
can find just about anything imaginable online, and some things
that truly are not.
Online shopping is a godsend to shut-ins, busy working folks and
anyone who, for whatever reason, cannot get out and do
heavy-duty shopping. Now you can have a world-class selection of
gifts at your fingertips and get most of your shopping done in a
single evening without ever venturing into traffic, or trudging
through crowded malls.
In many ways, online shopping is a return to the good old days
when delivery services were a given. This alone can make the
difference between sending token flowers and dispatching
something great on special occasions. Your selections can be
wrapped and on the road to delivery in less time than a drive to
the mall. And for the times when flowers really are the right
choice, you can now actually pick what you want and those
selections are incredible.
Shopping online beats catalogue shopping without any trouble,
too. Online you have incredible choices with far less time and
effort than pouring through stacks of catalogues and sitting
with a phone on hold only to be told that your color or size is
not available. Formerly tiresome ordering tasks can now be done
in minutes with the click of a mouse.
Although gift delivery is certainly a plus on special occasions,
it doesn't stop there. You can buy a whole new wardrobe, even a
wedding or prom dress, office supplies, a new computer, you can
redecorate your home, or shop for a new one, dabble in the stock
market, balance a checkbook, pay your bills and even buy a car
at your computer. So, what's the catch?
Street smarts are the rule online and off. Everyone already
knows when you go shopping, there are certain things you do and
don't do when it comes to your money and your personal security.
Online that goes double.
At the Computer:
In addition to a set of well-honed cyber street smarts, when
shopping online you should first and foremost be comfortable
with your computer. There are a few things to remember if you
are new to online shopping. The first is to click the BUY button
only "once." It may take a couple minutes for the transaction to
process. If you click buy twice, you will be making the same
purchase twice. There is not generally too much of an issue in
clearing up the double purchase, but it can be a hassle. Double
clicking is a common error for first-time online shoppers.
The second big rule is to keep copies of everything relevant to
the transaction. Print out the pages with the description and
prices of the items you order. Print out your credit card
receipt. Most companies will email you a copy of the receipt as
well. Keep that too, and make sure it matches your online
information.
As all computer users know, sometimes a glitch will derail the
best-laid plans. If your printer is down or goes down when you
try to get your print outs, find the "Print Screen" key on your
keyboard. Press it. Then go into your word processing or paint
program and click "Paste." You should now see a picture of what
was on your screen at the time you made your purchase. This is
the next best thing when a printer is not available.
Okay, you are comfortable with your computer already. All
possible glitches are covered and you are ready for some serious
shopping. What about those so-called cyber smarts?
Cyber Street Smarts:
Smart online shoppers, just like those in the physical world,
know there are certain things you do to take care of yourself.
They know to be aware of the neighborhood where they are
shopping. They know to be aware of the reputations of the places
where they do business. They know to watch their wallets, and
first and foremost, when they are around strangers, they know to
be aware of who might be scrutinizing them just a little too
closely.
Know Who You are Doing Business With:
Do a little research. Anyone can build a website. If you
encounter an unfamiliar company where you want to shop, find out
who they are. Look for an address. Be wary of any company that
does not list one. An address is no guarantee, but you can use
it to check references with the Better Business Bureau, BBB.
Their online site at http://bbb.org/ has nationwide listings.
Sometimes you may want more information than the BBB provides.
In this case, after the BBB check, use your favorite search
engine and try an "about search." The difference in an "about
search," and just looking for the site, is that you already know
where the site is; now you want to find out what people are
saying about it. Generally, just putting "about" in front of the
company name will get you started.
For a very small purchase, you might want to dispense with all
this investigating. But do use a low limit credit card. That way
if anything does go awry, it isn't that far awry. Yes, we all
know about the $50 liability limit, but the low limit card can
be a hassle saver online.
You may choose not to use a debit card online at all. Many debit
cards do not offer the same protections against fraud as credit
card companies. You could be putting your whole bank account at
risk.
While you are at it, be sure to check out the return policy and
guarantee. Online and off, most good companies do accept
returns, either by providing a cash refund or product exchange.
Note, however, shipping costs are typically not refunded for
online purchases.
Online Security:
After you've found exactly what you have been looking for,
checked out the seller, and their return policy; the next thing
you need to do is make sure the site is secure. Secure means
your personal information is encrypted in transit to the
seller's server. This prevents unauthorized (hacker) access and
possible misuse of your credit information.
Examine the URL in the address bar. If the site is encrypted you
should see an "s" directly after the http - like https://... The
whole site will not be encrypted, but the order page for the
transaction should be.
Other things to look for - depending on your browser, you may
see either an open or a closed padlock, or a whole or broken
key. If the key is broken or the lock open, you should assume
that the site is not encrypted.
Sometimes security issues get tricky. Suppose you personally
know the owner, it is a solid local business, but there is no
encryption system in place and they expect you to transmit your
credit information online. With small businesses, this is most
often a case of not knowing better, that does not, however, mean
that you do not. In cases like this, look for a phone number and
call in your order. If there is no phone number and no mailing
address, you should seriously consider whether you want to risk
an unsecured online transaction.
Common sense is the rule online and off. Guard your personal
information, including Social Security Number, bank account
information and passwords. No reputable merchant has a need for
your Social Security Number and it is not standard policy to ask
for it when you buy your groceries for instance. Requiring this
for a routine purchase should send up a red flag and you should
immediately take your business elsewhere.
Some online crooks will do whatever they can think of, in all
kinds of official looking ways, to get your private personal
information. If you call, they may personally assure you that
they do indeed need your bank account and password to sell you
that computer game. No way, just because it looks good, and they
sound sincere, doesn't mean that it is or they are, and you may
not know there was ever a problem until you see your credit
report.
Remember:
Online and off, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Don't let the heat of the offer lull you into abandoning your
good common sense. Of course, you could miss the deal of a
lifetime, and that is exactly what the unscrupulous want you to
think. Likely as not, online and off - if it sounds too good to
be true, it probably is.
Shopping the net is destined to change the way we do business,
but it is still a new frontier, with many of the uncertainties
that go with it. The only way to really be secure online is to
develop your cyber street smarts and sometimes, even that may
not be enough. It will certainly level the field though, and by
keeping your cyber smarts well honed, you should be able to
safely shop the net.
About the author:
Regina Garson teaches at Virginia College in Huntsville,
Alabama. For more about online shopping, you can visit her
website at http://lafindz.tripod.com
Written by: Regina Pickett Garson
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