|
|
|
Internet
Shopping
Basics
|
Get Started
There
are two things you need to get started with internet shopping: a credit
card (a
debit card will work too) and a shipping address.
Is
your credit card number safe to use over the internet? The answer is
yes and no and yes.
Yes,
because generally speaking, there is no need for unqualified worry
about credit card use online. Millions, or perhaps billions of
transactions are made every day, a fact which could not continue if
there was a considerable security risk.
No,
because we still have not reached the point where 100% of the people in
the world are honest. Crimes involving credit cards have occured both
on and off the internet.
And
yes, because when you enter your card at a reputable web site you are
essentially taking no more of a risk than when you hand your card to a
live human being in a store. You are trusting the integrity and
professionalism of the establishment with your credit information.
Sticking
with reputable dealers, such as the ones which are found on this site,
is the common sense approach to protecting yourself.
Go
To Page Menu 
|
Begin To Understand
Internet Security
Internet
shopping carries about the same level of risk as handing your credit
card to the stranger on the other side of the counter when you walk
into the store.
You
may have noticed that most web site addresses begin with "http:". This
is the normal internet address. When you reach the point in a web site
which requires your credit card number or other sensitive information
you will see an address which starts with "https:". This indicates
secure transmission. Many web browsers will also show an icon of a key
or a lock near the bottom to indicate that secure transmission is in
effect.
Sensitive
information such as credit card numbers are transmitted using secure
transmission. What that means is that your card number and other
sensitive information is sent in a form that is unreadable until it
reaches the intended destination.
To
protect yourself, just use common sense and stick with reputable firms.
And by the way, never, ever give your credit card number or passwords
to unsolicited requests you may get in email, no matter who it appears
to be. A reputable firm will never ask that from you and scammers have
been know to try.
If
an unsolicited email from a site you have been dealing with asks you to
click on a link and supply a password, credit card or social security
number, you may want to bypass clicking on the link in the email and go
directly to the site in your browser. This is to assure yourself that
you are dealing with the people you expect to. When you go to a known
established website you are sharing your information on your terms.
Go
To Page Menu
|
Create Internet
Shopping Passwords
Speaking
of passwords, often a retailer will ask you to perform a free one time
registration in order to make a purchase. This is perfectly fine and
better for you if you ever want to use that retailer in the future
because they will safely retain information such as your credit card
number or shipping address so you will not have to re-enter it on
future visits. When you register with an online retailer you will
typically be asked to make up your own password. Even if the system
generates a password for you it is a good idea to go to the site's
"Your Account" page to change the password to one of your choosing.
To
make your password more secure the following recommendations cannot be
stressed too strongly:
(1)
Do not make your password something which can be guessed, such as a
relative's name or birthdate.
(2)
Where possible mix alphabetic and numeric characters in your password.
(3)
Ordinarily, don't share your password with anyone, no matter how close
they are to you.
Here's
another tip just to make life simple:
(4)
Use same password for all retailers you register for, but make a
different password for that special account (such as your bank) that
you want an extra layer of security for.
Go
To Page Menu
|
Set Up Internet
Shopping Preferences
In
addition to the commonly requested registration information such as
credit card number, address and phone number retailers may sometimes
have one or more checkboxes asking whether you would like to receive
email from them or their partner businesses. Look for these check boxes
when you complete the registration information. Don't click the
"Submit" button until you make sure your preferences are accurately
reflected, particularly if you don't want unsolicited email. Even if
you change your mind later you can typically make an adjustment in your
account preferences on the web site.
Go
To Page Menu
|
|
|
Advantages and
Disadvantages
Internet
shops have certain advantages over what is often referred to as brick
and mortar shops. First of all, because the internet retailer may ship
from one or more central warehouses instead of a presentable high-rent
showroom, they may carry a much larger inventory.
This
means you may find things that you would never find in a showroom. This
can also translate into lower prices for the consumer.
Of
course, buying online may trigger shipping costs which do not apply in
traditional shopping. In some cases this is partially offset by the
lack of a tax surcharge or the discount on the item itself. Some
consumers may feel that the ease of ordering is worth the price of
shipping. Also, the more you can combine multiple items in one order
the less the shipping cost is a factor.
Depending
on the product, one thing that a shopper may miss is the ability to
physically look at and touch the item. Internet retailers may try to
make up for this by offering pictures, detailed descriptions or other
extras not available in a showroom such as user reviews. It is to their
advantage to give you as much assistance as they possibly can to help
you make your choice.
Go
To Page Menu
|
|
|
|