The Internet can be a shopper’s paradise, as long as you know how to shop safely and avoid hidden fees. Here are some tips to make sure your online shopping experience is a positive one.
Make sure the web site is reputable.
If you’re shopping on a new site that you’ve never done business with before and it isn’t a brand name you recognize, take the time to do a little homework before you share any sensitive personal information. Look around the site to see if there’s a third-party seal of approval posted from a trusted source like the Better Business Bureau Online, or Trust-E. Membership in these organizations means the web site has agreed to be held to strict standards in how they handle personal information, as well as customer complaints.
You can also enter the name of the web site or business into your favorite search engine to see what comes up. If someone has had a bad experience with the site, it may be mentioned in a user forum or consumer information site.
Only shop at sites that use secure technology.
When information is passed between your computer and the shopping site’s server, it should be...