Be Cautious when Shopping Online

Its now widely accepted that online shopping is the future. Not only does it offer shoppers incredible bargains on price, but it also displays an incredible selection. Shopping online is both fast and secure. It gives back impressive returns and provides a great opportunity for those not too interested in going to stores. On average people spend hundreds of dollars on online shopping. A good metric to gauge the success of this online space is the rapid rise of scam websites resembling e-commerce retailers. This has presented more chances of accidentally giving data to the wrong person. The peak seasons are during the holidays when mistakes can frequently be made. This brings the argument on how to find trusted online shopping?

 

online shoppingShopping Safely

Shopping online is fairly safe meaning your wallet and credit card will remain at home. You do not have to worry about someone grabbing off your purse as you head to a physical store. Nevertheless, you are not out of the woods yet as you can still find yourself in trouble. Here are six guidelines on how best to keep safe online while shopping.

 

Go for Familiar Websites

Begin with trusted sites instead of the regular search engines. Your search results can be easily rigged if you are not keen. The error mostly occurs if you drift the first few page links. Knowing the site is the first step as it prevents you from getting a rip-off. We are familiar with the majors such as Amazon, Target, etc. Look out for misspellings or those websites whose domain is different from the regular one. The sales might seem exciting, little do you know it’s your information you are giving away.

 

Get the Lock

Do not buy anything online using your credit card, particularly those without SSL encryptions. You will be able to figure this out if the site begins with https instead of HTTP. Never share with anyone your credit card data over the mail. A secure way of making payments online is through PayPal.

 

paymentDo not Reveal Everything

No online store should inquire about your social security details or your date of birth. If they get into the hands of a malicious person, they can use them to make you suffer. If possible, try as much as possible not to give out information you do not have to.

 

 

Check your Statements

Do not wait to receive a bill at the end of the month. During the holidays check your credit card electronic statements, both debit and credit card. Frequently check to avoid incurring fraudulent charges. There is no perfect site. Even sites like PayPal might have charged you erroneously. Once you notice anything queer, look up their address or phone number and get the matter sorted out quick.

 

Treat your PC

Protect your PC from lazy people who harvest people’s data to steal information. Start by updating your anti-virus with a powerful version. The best versions are the paid ones.

 

Go Mobile

Over a quarter of adults do their online shopping through their smartphones. However, they prefer looking them up here rather than buying. To ease the experience, download targeted online shopping apps such as Target, Amazon, etc.