Tips for safe online shopping
Published 5:27 pm Friday, December 17, 2010
The Consumer Federation of America has advice for online shoppers to keep their wallets and identities safe this holiday season:
Check out unfamiliar sellers. Read customer reviews of retailers, which are available at many price-comparison sites. Search for complaints at the Better Business Bureau. And research the seller on consumer-complaint sites. The CFA previously recommended such sites as My3Cents.com, Complaints.com, ConsumerAffairs.com and RipoffReport.com.
Use credit cards. Credit cards provide the best protection because you can dispute charges. Debit cards also have some protections, but you might be without your money for a while. And with debit cards you don’t have the legal right to dispute debits if the goods were misrepresented or were never delivered, according to the CFA.
Don’t use money transfers. “Legitimate sellers don’t ask for payment that way,” Grant said. Be suspicious of any seller asking for payment via Western Union or MoneyGram.
Look for secure sites. Upon checkout, look at the web address “https” or “shttp,” where the “S” stands for secure. Some browsers use icons, such as a padlock or a broken key made whole.
Keep records. Save details of transactions. You might even print them out.
Beware of technological scams. Legitimate companies don’t ask you to confirm information by e-mail, called “phishing,” or phone text message, known as “smishing.”
