Online shopping is convenient, as you can browse thousands of products, compare them and find best and reasonable prices, and have your package delivered right on your doorstep and the most important that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home. All we want is a lower price, exciting deals and coupons, free shipping and quality products with a proper warranty.
Apply these tips to improve your online shopping experience from security point of view.
How to shop online safely:
- Place orders from a secure connection:
The most important step is to keep your computer or mobile device safe from the malicious software so that your financial information, passwords, and other confidential data is protected from being stolen. Protect your computers or other devices you used to do online shopping, use a secure internet connection and turn on the computer firewall.
If you’re using the wireless connection, it needs to be encrypted so someone can’t collect the data while lurking outside your house. Avoid making any financial transactions if you’re using the public networks.
- Choose a trusted merchant/website:
Shopping with trusted merchant/online store is safer if you already know the store so you can walk into the local store for help if there is some problem with the product.
If you don’t know about the store it may still be the best bet, you just need to take few more precautions. Conduct your background check by looking some reviews of people on products or either on the website. If there isn’t any reviews don’t order your product from that website.
- Avoid tricky offers:
Avoid such offers that seem too good to be true because any e-store that provide too low prices is obviously suspicious. If the price is low, consider whether the seller came by the items legally, whether the product is actually branded, if you’re going to receive the product you paid for, or you will be able to replace or return the damaged products. It may be possible that merchant is earning some extra cash for selling your information.
- Read Terms and Conditions Carefully:
Read terms and conditions, privacy policy, refunds and replacement policies of the online store before buying anything. If you are buying something like present for someone else, first be sure about the store that either it is legit or not.
- Generate strong password:
Mostly e-commerce website provides 2 options like you can buy your product with 1-click without creating an account or you have to ask to create an account on that website and with a strong password. Create a strong password that should be a combination of number, letters and some symbols and make it unique. Do not use common words or your birthday date as your password as they are easy to guess.
- Take care of the details:
Don’t use the e-commerce website that ask you to provide more information than required to make the purchase. Just provide your name, address, phone number, email address and method of payment details. You don’t need to provide them your license number or its copy, bank details or the social security information. Some of these stores may ask for your interests etc but these are optional you can skip them. Read privacy policies to understand how much your information may exposed. However, the legit stores mention that they do not sell or share your personal information to anyone. Stick to the stores that cares about your privacy.
- Secure website connection:
Before entering your credit card details always check the lock button that is on the start of URL of the website. See if it begins with https instead of http. That little‘s’ tells you if the website is secure and encrypted to protect your data.
- Read shipping terms:
Always check for the shipping terms of the company. Some merchants charge you the exorbitant fees that can convert your shopping an expensive mistake. Check for the insurance and tracking that company offers.
- Use reliable internet security tool:
The best way to stay safe especially while making some transactions online is by using some good internet security software or tools. Security features like anti-phishing and theft protection are important with the increasing amount of data that is exchanged online.
Let online shopping begin.
