New to Shopping on the Internet?

Here are some tips and tricks to introduce you to shopping on the internet:

* Most credit card companies have policies designed to protect you when making purchases on the internet. This means that if your credit card number is used fraudulantly, you can simply report it the same way you would if your actual card was lost or stolen. Then simply dispute the fraudulant charges with the credit card company and they will go through the normal process to resolve the matter.

* Most web sites that accept credit cards use a "Secure Site Certificate" to encrypt the credit card number so that it can only be accessed by you or the company from which you made a purchase. There are several ways that you know the web site is Secure: look for the Secure Site logo, look for the Lock symbol on your web browser, look at the website name to see if it starts with HTTPS: (pages that are not encrypted will only have HTTP: without the "S" at the end). These things may only display on the page where you enter your credit card information because it is not necessary on pages that don't ask for your personal information.

* Use some common sense when you make purchases on the internet, like you would at an actual store (often referred to on the internet as "Brick and Mortar" stores). For instance:
Does the "store" (i.e. website) have a place where you can contact someone if you need help or have a problem.
What types of payment does the store accept.
What is the return policy for items that you purchase.
If you haven't heard of the store before or you just aren't sure about it,
check it out further before making a purchase:
See if there is a phone number you can call and call it,
Is it listed with the Better Business Bureau or DUNS,
has it been recommended to you by a reliable source.
There are some scams on the internet, so either check it out before hand, or if you run into a problem report the problem to a major agency like the Better Business Bureau.

* Read the Privacy Statement to see if you will receive marketing material

* Find out more information on the following sites:
Yahoo! Shopping - Safe Shopping Online
Better Business Bureau - Check a company before you buy
American Express - Shop Safely Online
Federal Trade Commission - Shop Safely Online

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