First of all, safe online shopping means ensuring that you are making use of a secure browser from which to view the websites that you wish to purchases items from. The majority of computer systems do include a secure browser but if yours doesn’t, there are places on the Internet where you can download a secure browser and it won’t cost you a cent.

Secondly, it is always good practice to only shop with merchants and companies that you know about and ones you can guarantee are legitimate. For example if a company has a successful business offline and you are familiar with their products and have shopped there before yourself, and then the company decides to expand by creating a website to allow individuals to shop online, then you are pretty much guaranteed that it is a secure and safe company to deal with. If you do come across a company that you have never heard of before but it looks legitimate, before you plunge in request to be sent a brochure or a print catalogue to help ascertain if this is a company you wish to buy from.

The third safety measure is to always keep your account passwords protected and private. Do not allow anyone else access to your passwords or you could be in for trouble. When creating a password be as strange or as creative as possible. Do not use things such as last names, family members names, birth dates, addresses or pets’ names that other people might be able to figure out. Also for an extra precautionary measure, mix letters and numbers together when creating passwords.

The fourth essential safety measure is to whenever it is possible pay for your purchases by way of a credit card, as opposed to Paypal, a debit card, a check or money order or some other form of payment. Online shopping purchases with a credit card are protected by what is known as the Fair Credit Billing Act. This act allows an individual to question any charges on the credit card as well as to temporarily refuse to pay a disputed charge until an investigation into it can be conducted. There are some credit card companies that will go so far as to offer their customers an online computer shopping guarantee. This guarantee means that the individual will not be held liable for any unauthorized charges that are made on their credit card.

The fifth important point is to keep precise records of every online purchase you make. Be diligent in printing out copies of all transactions and orders as well as confirmation numbers. As well remember to print out all credit card receipts. Always keep your records in a safe, secure place, away from the prying eyes of others. In the event that a problem arises, or if you need to return or exchange an item you will be able to do so much easier if you have printed copies of everything on hand.

Finally, the sixth safety measure for online shopping is to only shop with companies that provide ample contact information at their website. Nothing is more suspicious than an online company that gives no indication of its street or mailing address in the offline world, nor a company that does not provide a toll free or regular telephone number for customer inquiries or even an e-mail address. Steer clear of companies that provide less information as opposed to more. Refer back to the second safety measure above which cautions you as an online consumer to only shop with well known companies who can prove their legitimacy. 

 

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There is a list of state boards of pharmacy on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) website.  The NABP has a program to help you locate pharmacies that are licensed to sell medications online.  Websites that have been checked and approved by the NABP to meet state and federal rules display the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice sites (VIPPS) Seal.  This seal guarantees that all of the licensing standards in the states that medications are dispensed in have been met, all prescription orders are secure, quality assurance policies are in place and there is a system by which a customer’s questions can be answered by a pharmacist.

Online pharmacies are actually a relatively new online market but are growing quickly due to the large amounts of money being put into them by larger pharmacy chains.  Currently in the United States, there are 400 websites that dispense and prescribe medications.  With so many online pharmacies cropping up it is no wonder that consumers are confused and insecure about which pharmacies to use and how to tell if certain pharmacies are illegal or even fake.  The best way to decide for you which pharmacy to use is to of course use only online pharmacies that carry the VIPPS seal. 

Some signs that your online pharmacy might be a fake include:

The pharmacy does not require a prescription from your doctor or any doctor in order to receive a prescription.

The website does not have a pharmacist available via phone or e-mail to answer questions of the consumer.

Your personal information is not protected, secured or authenticated.

There are no privacy and security policies posted anywhere on the website.

The pharmacy provides its own “doctor” who conducts an online exam and makes a diagnosis and determination of needed medications without seeing the patient in person.

Many online pharmacies provide discounts and low prices but it is important to be away of unusually low prices because this can be a sign that your pharmacy is not a legal entity.

There are currently several major pharmacy chains that have opened online access to their pharmacies.  If the online pharmacy has a name that is misspelled, does not sound like a pharmacy name, lists a particular drug(s) in the name, is in all lower case lettering or is not a name that you have heard of you must check out the authenticity of the pharmacy before using it.

If you are not familiar with the pharmacy always check the general appearance of the website to see if it looks unprofessional, lacks a physical address and has a listed and working phone number.

Do not trust “certificates of authenticity”.  Many of these certificates can be fakes so look only for the VIPPS seal of approval on the pharmacy website.

Do a search of the pharmacy name on the Internet and look for posts or discussion groups about the online entity.  If there are a lot of customer complaints or likewise if you find no information at all these can both be signs that you need to check into your online pharmacy better before using it.

Pharmacies that are located in other countries may be breaking the law by shipping prescription drugs into the United States that are not approved by the FDA.  Some of these websites may say that the drugs are approved in the company they are being shipped from but they probably are not.  If you purchase drugs from these pharmacies you more than likely will never receive your product and if you do receive it you are putting your health at risk because you could be receiving counterfeit medicines, incorrect dosages, improperly stored medications, or expired, contaminated or recalled medications.

 

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Tip #1: If it looks too good to be true, it is.   Yes, there are some great bargains and to be found while shopping online, but the old adage stands true.  You simply can find a new iPod for $30.00, no matter how good of a shopper you are.  This low ball pricing is a red flag for a fake seller.  Use the Internet to the seller’s prices to numerous other vendors.  You can also compare the shipping prices and terms of sale.

Tip #2: What does the website look like?  Take some time to just scan over the website.  Do you get a feeling that this company is professional?  Are they customer oriented?  Does it seem like they know what they are doing?  Using your common sense it is easy to get a feel for some quick warning signs.  Be sure there is contact information for the company, including a phone number and physical address, not just email.  Check the phone number to make sure it is legitimate.  Do they clearly display the return policy?  What type of payment do they accept?

Tip # 3: Verify the company is legitimate.  In addition to making sure the contact number on the website is a working number, also verify the company.  Using the Internet, Better Business Bureau, or resources via eBay, you can research the company data.  You may be able to find out information such as how long they have been in business, how long they have been transacting business on the internet, how much business they do, and if there are any complaints against them.  PayPal is another service that will keep track of the status of their accounts.  If a retailer does not accept PayPal, or has been banned from using PayPal this is a definite red flag.

Tip #4: Ask many questions, just like retail stores. If you are considering an expensive purchase in a retail store, chances are you will ask many questions to the sales person.  Do not forget to ask all of these same questions when you are shopping online.  If they provide a description of the item, this does not mean you cannot call and probe for even more answers about the product.  This also provides another opportunity for you to validate the seller and the transaction.

Tip #5: Use an Escrow account to assist your high-end transactions.  Use a reputable escrow company, they will hold your payment and not transfer it to the seller until you receive your purchase, compare it to the photograph of the item you bid for, and confirm its authenticity. Escrow will charge a commission. Typically in negotiation, buyers and sellers will split the fee.

Tip #6:  Carefully consider your method of payment and their terms.  Learn what the process and term are for returns.  What about late shipments?  What happens if you are not satisfied?  What if the product arrives damaged? How easy or difficult will it be to get your money back?  A legitimate vendor should have all of this information easily available on their website.  Do not wire money or send money orders.  The best way to track an online transaction is through PayPal.  PayPal also gives you a rating for every vendor you use with him or her.  This rating is reflective of their track record and customer relationship history.  Be sure that you retain all records of your transactions, even after you have received your shipment.

There are many great items to be found in the cyber-world of online shopping.  A savvy consumer needs to remember it is easy to be taken in by a great deal online.  Keeping a constant eye out for warning signs and red flags is a must.

Remembering this tips for how to spot a fake seller when shopping online will make your Internet experience much more enjoyable. 

 

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First of all, make sure you are shopping with a website that uses a secure browser and secure server. Guarantee before you enter any type of personal information that the shopping website complies with industry security standards. As well ensure that the browser you use is as new as ever. Older or outdated ones tend to be much less secure as browsers are updated on a regular basis. Most computer systems do come with a secure browser but if you do not have that, search the web for websites that offer secure browsers that can be downloaded for free.

The second fail-safe method is to protect yourself by only placing orders with companies that you are as familiar with as possible. If the company has shops in the offline world and has been around for many years and has a solid reputation then they are probably okay to order from online. However if you are interested in shopping at a website that is brand new to you, do your research by checking their credentials with the National Association and the Better Business Bureau. It is also good practice to request a paper catalogue be sent to you so you can carefully look it over to further contemplate the legitimacy of the business. Find out if the company you are thinking about ordering from is a registered member of the Better Business Bureau Online. If they are then that is a very good sign. Scamming is much less likely to occur in this case. 

Thirdly, keep your password as private as can be and always use a secure password. Do not allow anyone else to know what it is. Be as creative as possible when you choose a password. The general rules for creating for yourself passwords that others are not likely to be able to figure out include, combining letters and numbers as well as lower-case letters and upper-case letters; choosing a password that is more than seven or eight character long; do not choose a word that is singular in nature and is to be easily found in the dictionary and phrases are preferable.  Scamming is a great deal more difficult when you keep your personal information and passwords private.  

The fourth fail-safe method for online shopping is once you feel safe about the business in question; use your credit card to do your shopping instead of your debit card or sending a check or money order (if the website allows for that). Credit card purchases are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Action, while debit purchases and other forms of payment are not. Going along with this is to always keep excellent records of your purchases. Print out everything from transaction records to confirmation and purchases orders to receipts. You can never be too careful. When in doubt, always, always, print it out! A hard copy of everything is a must when you are shopping online.

The fifth fail-safe method in regards to online shopping is to trust your instincts and use your common sense at all times. The old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is” is always good advice to follow. Don’t allow yourself to willingly walk into a scam, instead trust what your brain is telling you.

Steer clear of companies over the Internet that provide little if any contact information for potential customers such as their full company name, their mailing address (or street address), their telephone number and their e-mail address. The more information a company provides on its website the better. You might want to try calling the phone number and e-mailing them before you decide to order to help further decide if the company is legitimate. Some companies also have an “About Us” section as well as a “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” section. Learn everything you can about a company before you make the decision to shop with them. Look to see if the company has a toll-free number for customer inquiries, suggestions or complaints. If they do, call the number to see if you can actually speak with a real live person or if there is only an answering machine message at the other end. 

 

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