How to Shop for a Netbook Safely Online

March 29, 2010, 2:23 am PDT by admin
Filed under Featured Articles

The World of e-CommerceThe world of electronic commerce enables consumers to shop at thousands of online stores and pay for their netbook purchases without leaving the comfort of home. A recent survey by AC Nielsen found that the number of people who shop online around the globe is increasing dramatically.

Shoppers are provided with an abundance of merchant sites which allows access to an extremely wide range of comparable information. Consumers can also compare prices from a variety of different retailers with greater ease, compared to them physically browsing the aisles of a physical store. Often prices are lower due reduced limitations of a traditional physical store, such lower stocking costs (or none, if drop shipping is used), lower staffing overhead and depending on the jurisdiction, a lack of sales tax.

Paying by Credit Card

Shopping online today is safe and concerns about security and credit card theft is no longer an issue as it used to be. In fact the safest way to shop on the Internet is with a credit card. In the event something goes wrong, you are protected under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act. You have the right to dispute charges on your credit card, and you can withhold payments during a creditor investigation. When it has been determined that your credit was used without authorization, you are only responsible for the first $50 in charges. You are rarely asked to pay this charge.

What happens is that the credit card companies INSURE your transactions online! Provided you don’t do anything really silly, your card company will insure any losses because of hacking, card-swiping, card-cloning, packet-sniffing etc.

They can afford to do this because the amounts lost in card fraud are small in relative terms to the huge amounts of money moving around the world in honest transactions, and besides they can’t afford NOT to insure it! Think about it: Supposing you were doing a card transaction on your computer and someone somehow hacked into the link, stole your card number, and went on a spending spree, you’d make a big fuss and go to the newspapers! The bad publicity would be so bad for Public Relations that it would adversely affect the whole world of e-commerce, and would cost the card company much more than if they just paid you the money back.

Make sure your credit card is a true credit card and not a debit card or a check card. A debit or check card exposes your bank account to thieves. Further, debit and check cards are not protected by federal law to the extent that credit cards are.

Online Shopping Tips

Follow this simple precautions to help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one:

Use Secure Connection -They scramble or “encrypt” your purchase information so that only you and the vendor can read it. Only provide your credit card information or Social Security number online in a secure environment. Look for the prefix https:// . . . in the Uniform Resource Locator box which lists the website’s web address to be sure that a site you are using is secure.
Keep Records – Most online stores will email you confirmation of your order. Print out and save these.
Check your credit card and bank statements – look for errors and purchases you did not make. If you find errors, call your credit card company or bank immediately
Check the online store’s policies – Look for disclosures about the Web site’s security, refund and return policies, and statements about how the Web site will use your personal information. Look for links to “About” pages or “FAQ” pages. If a Web store says nothing about protecting your privacy, shop somewhere else.
Bogus Website – Find out where a company is physically located to help avoid overseas or offshore Scams. Don’t Rely on a Professional Looking Website as Proof of a Company’s Quality or Good Reputation. If you’re interested in trying a new online merchant who you’re not familiar with, ask the company for its physical location (address and phone number) so that you can check on its reliability with outside organizations like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and consumer agencies.
Leave Nothing to Chance – Be sure you have a thorough understanding of everything involved before making an order. Be clear on the price and any shipping and handling charges. Know the terms of any product or service guarantees. Find out how long it will be before you receive your order. Federal law requires that goods and services be delivered within 30 days, unless a different delivery period is specifically stated by the merchant.
Know Your Consumer Rights - The same laws that protect you when you shop by phone or mail apply when you shop in cyberspace. Under the law, a company must ship your order within the time stated in its ads. If you decide to pay by credit card or charge card, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you are not comfortable entering your credit or charge card account number online, call it in to the company’s 800 number or fax it.

Guard Your Personal Information

Never tell your password – to anybody, not even your Internet service provider. Other than to gain access, no legitimate service will ever ask you for your password.
Watch what you download – Never download files, run programs or view graphics sent to you by strangers. Beware of clicking on URL “links” sent to you in email by people you do not know.
Most Important of All – Keep Your Personal Information Private! Unless you know the people asking and why they are asking for it, never tell anyone your address, telephone number, Social Security number, email address or passwords.