This is a Guest Blog by Aisha Singh.
Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular due to its ease, rapidity and cost-effectiveness. That is the reason why companies offer their products online in their e-shops to customers all over the world, that is why retailing corporations like Amazon.com were born and sell goods produced by others and that is why websites with free classified ads like Sahipasand.com are used to sell or resell any kind of products.
Consumers can now purchase any number of goods and services online and are doing so with progressive frequency. Of course there is a significant number of risks associated with this new craze, from simple technical issues and poor customer service to more serious cases of phishing and identity theft.
Following the tips listed below and maintaining a certain degree of common sense will allow you to shop online safely:
- Use secure websites
One way of ensuring your online safety is to shop exclusively on secure websites that encrypt the information you send in order to protect it from hackers. You can check if a website is a secure one in a number of ways. First of all, look for a locked padlock at the bottom of your computer screen and/or an unbroken key. If the padlock is open or the key is broken, the site may not be secure. Look also at the web address: if an ‘s’ is displayed after the ‘http’ (so you see https://), the site should be secure.
- Always read the small print
Always familiarize yourself with an online retailer’s small print before placing an order. All reputable online merchants will provide customers with a Privacy Policy detailing how information is stored, used and shared with third parties. Furthermore, make sure you familiarize yourself with merchant’s shipping, cancellation and returns policies to avoid all nasty surprises later on.
- Be aware of cookies
Cookies are a tracking system that monitors the sites we use while we browse online. Online retailers often use cookies in order to facilitate the ordering process, however they are also used as a marketing tool, bombarding us with targeted advertisements relevant to the sites we have visited in the past. Though this is often benign, it can be potentially damaging.
- Keep your information private
Since you will be required to enter a lot of personal information when placing an order, make sure you are selective about any additional information you enter. Many questions online retailers ask are not compulsory and are only included for marketing purposes. If you value your privacy, enter only the minimum information required.
- Look out for phishing
Phishing is a phenomenon that encourages individuals to enter private information such as bank account and credit card details into a fake website that is accessed via an officially looking email from a bank, favorite online retailer or payment service provider. To avoid becoming a victim of phishing, do not respond to any requests to verify or update your details via email, and do not access websites via embedded links; always access the page directly by entering the address by yourself.
Related Articles
- How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Emails and Links (securitywatch.pcmag.com)
Online shopping is very prevalent today. I always used amazon. Now amazon is catering to the Indian crowd. Similarly other companies have recognized the potential. I think both parents working n having no time to visit a local store has started this trend.