We don’t know about you, but we love shopping online for Christmas prezzies. We’ll go searching for inspiration or just to find the best price on a specific item, and often we’ll end up impulse buying including all sorts of stocking fillers that seemed like a good idea at the time! But there is a more serious side to online shopping and this is that consumers, like you, must protect themselves, keep personal details secure and be certain about the retailer you are buying from.
With fuel prices still soaring and the recession showing no signs of lifting, retailers are vying for your custom and as such there are some fantastic bargains out there. Shopping online, especially during the months of November and December, is a great way to beat the crowds, but do try and order early to avoid disappointment with stock availability and delivery times.
Goods bought online now account for over 15% of our total consumer spending here in the UK. Unfortunately this is a statistic that certain elements of society are all too aware of and willing to exploit.
Here are our top ten tips for safe online shopping both at Christmas and throughout the year:
1. Secure your computer – install a firewall and ensure antivirus software is updated. (if you haven’t checked for a while, run an update on your antivirus software now just to be sure)
2. Password protect your home or office network, especially if you’re using a Wireless network, and password protect your PC.
3. Use a high security web browser such as Firefox that checks for trusted URLs
4. Keep all of your passwords and PIN numbers secret. Do not respond to emails that look like they are from your bank asking to update your PIN number or check your address details. If in doubt, telephone your bank or pop into a local branch.
5. Know the merchant. Many of the major high street stores have a website, but if you are ordering from a lesser known company or it’s your first time ordering from a particular website, ensure there is a postal address and landline number. Be sure to also check for shipping and return policies.
6. Ask yourself if the site is genuine. Be wary of misspelt URLs.
7. Try to use a credit card where possible as this offers you extra protection
8. Check that the payment connection is secure and look for the “https://….” in the address bar (the ‘s’ stands for secure). You should also notice a padlock symbol which signifies a secure connection.
9. Often when purchasing from a website you will register a new account or already have an existing account. Once your purchase is complete be sure to Log off from the site when you have finished
10. Where possible, print out details of what you have ordered and check your next bank and credit card statements.
Safe and Happy Shopping!
Recommended Bookmark!: Consumer Direct offer clear and practical advice to UK consumers on all kinds of issues.
