10 CYBERSHOPPING TIPS FOR THE ON-LINE SANTA
(NC) - BC: Hate crowds, line-ups and shopping mall Santas? Lost your car in the parking lot again? Christmas shopping online can offer you lots of convenience and choice but be careful it doesn't turn out to be a snow job. With Canadians expected to spend as much as $700 million online to fill their holiday shopping lists this year, keep in mind these ten basic tips to ensure a hassle-free online shopping experience:
- Shop with companies you know and trust. Check for quality assurance certificates or seals.
- Find out where the merchant is physically located. Resolving problems with long-distance or cross-border merchants can be complicated.
- Don't assume that a flashy or sophisticated website means a merchant is reputable.
- Read the legal information regarding your purchase, then print it out and keep it on file.
- Find out about the merchant's purchasing, delivery, order cancellation, returns, complaints and privacy policies before you place an order.
- Don't provide your credit card number or confidential information unless you have initiated the contact with a merchant.
- Always ensure you are in a secure online environment when entering credit card numbers or other sensitive data. Click on the closed padlock or unbroken key icon in the bottom left corner of your browser window to view a website's digital certificate, which confirms the site offers secure transactions and that its identity has been confirmed by independent authorities. Another way of checking that your communications will be encrypted and secure while travelling across the Internet is to make sure the website address or URL begins with "https" rather than just "http".
- Always use the latest version of your Internet browser, which contain the latest security technology. You can obtain the latest version at the Netscape or Microsoft home page.
- Don't supply personal information that isn't necessary to make a purchase.
- Never share your passwords and while it may seem easier to use the same password for the many needs in your life, don't be tempted. Use several different passwords and make them a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters for extra security.- (NC)
- From News Canada
