Being scammed is no fun for anyone, whether it is online or offline. However, there are ways to help guarantee that your online shopping experience is successful, rewarding and most of all, scam-free. Let’s look at five fail-safe methods to have a scam-free online shopping experience.

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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