HOW TO BUY ON-LINE SAFELY

(or at least as safely as possible!)
    by Francine Traiger-Poor, Esq.

    Shopping on line has many advantages.  Stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can shop from the convenience and comfort of your home and otherwise impossible to find items are readily available.  However, on line shopping has a dark side, too.  You may worry about never getting what you paid for, the theft of your credit card number, or unwittingly sharing your private information—or worse.  While there are no guarantees, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from fraud.

    Make sure you're buying from a business you can count on to deliver the goods. If you don't know the business by reputation, do a little research first.  Look for an address, not a post office box, request a catalog by mail, or call and talk to a company representative.  Look for third party seals of approval such as BBBOnLine (Better Business Bureau Online) or TRUSTe. 

    Companies can put those seals on their sites only if they follow rigorous standards as to how complaints and disputes will be resolved and how personal information can be used. When you click on the logo, it should go to the appropriate validating Web site. If you don't readily see these seals on the site, a good place to look is in the privacy policy or "Terms & Conditions," which should be clearly posted on the site.  You can also find out what other shoppers have to say about an online store on comparison sites such as http://www.epinions.com or http://www.bizrate.com. These sites have customer evaluations built right into their design with a number of smiley faces or stars.

    Be wary of merchants that want to operate “outside the system.”  If a seller asks to be contacted by e-mail before you place an order, asks you to wire them money or deposit money in an escrow account, head for the exit.  Stick with the usual payment methods recommended by reputable Web sites.  Credit cards are the safest way to pay because your liability is limited and, because the funds are not immediately withdrawn from your account, you have some recourse if your shopping experience goes awry.  However, don’t rely on PayPal to keep you safe.  PayPal’s protection will only protect you against sellers who don’t ship the goods.  It doesn’t apply to the quality or authenticity of your merchandise.  Furthermore, PayPal will only try to collect the amount you paid from the seller and you are only refunded the amount PayPal is able to collect.

    Make sure you don't give out sensitive information unless it's absolutely necessary to complete the transaction.  Before you reveal any information, ask yourself if the Web site needs it. Address and credit card number will most likely be required on a secure page, but be wary of giving your social security number, mother's maiden name, bank account number, or other such information. If a question seems too invasive, skip it. If the merchant then prevents you from shopping, shop elsewhere.

    Look at the total cost of the transaction before you buy and make sure you’re protected if the merchandise isn’t what you want.  Look for prohibitive shipping and out of line 'handling' costs and review the return policy. Since you can't touch the merchandise before you buy it, if an online store doesn't have a return policy, consider shopping elsewhere. If there is a return policy, make sure you understand the conditions under which the company will pay the shipping costs for returns.  It’s also a good idea to review the warranty. This is particularly important if you're making a long term investment, such as electronic gear.  After you decide to buy, print a copy of your order. A printed copy of your order, including the confirmation number or message, will act as your receipt if needed.
 
    Finally, remember that there is no such thing as a sure thing.  Unless you’re dealing with an on-line store that also has a “brick and mortar” location, recovery can be tricky.  Law suits will have to be brought at the seller’s location, which makes recovery for anything other than high ticket items cost prohibitive.  Do your best to protect yourself, but accept that sometimes the cost of on-line convenience can be high.