Caveat Emptor – Protecting Yourself Online
Saturday, July 4th, 2009Shopping online has become what would seem to be a national past-time, which is terrific for the shopper – it’s never been easier to shop. And to add to that, the increase in competition united with the cost-effectiveness with selling online has encouraged cheap prices for goods.
Even so, as the shopping market has widened, so too has the necessity to be cognisant of your consumer rights, and what you should do if you are in receipt of faulty items or goods that don’t even turn up. Information is available online, like the consumer protection act 1987.
You also need to be aware of which payment provider to use to pay for your items, as each payment provider has its own terms and conditions. . Doing your homework can prevent you getting ripped off by internet scams.
Our advice is to do your preparation about the vendor : do they show their phone number and postal address? What is the seller’s terms? Their returns policy? Their privacy policy? All these queries must be resolved prior to considering buying from the seller.
Another important point to consider: how is payment taken? In 2009, it’s not enough to merely look for a Secure Socket Layer Certificate – this won’t tell you how they store your data, only how it’s transferred when you make the order. If in doubt, only purchase from sellers who use 3rd party payment gateways such as Google Checkout, PayPal, SagePay, NoChex and WorldPay.You can also verify the reputation the seller has with his payment provider, e.g. check his PayPal account and how many orders have happened on this particular account.
