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Ask the Bargain-shopper: Easy steps to help you shop safely online

Guest post by: Anne Garber

Article Overview: Using the web for holiday shopping? Your friends at evalu8.org provide these tips to help you with a safe -- and simple -- shopping experience. . .

Ask the Bargain-shopper: Easy steps to help you shop safely online

by Anne Garber

Keep user names and passwords secret.

To help with a secure data transmission, use a secure browser (such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla).

Only provide credit card details when initiating a purchase.

Keep a record of transactions, either through e-mail confirmations or by writing down confirmation numbers provided by the merchant. Review monthly credit card statements thoroughly.

Check the site for merchant delivery and return policies before making a purchase to ensure items can be returned if not in satisfactory condition.

Never respond to an e-mail request for personal or account information, even if it appears to be from a trusted source.

Never send payment information via e-mail. E-mail is not secure and can be read by outside parties.

Prevent credit card hassles with these cautionary tips:
Credit card fraud is the last thing anyone wants to deal with when shopping online, so take these precautions and set your mind at ease. Follow evalu8.org's guide and learn about the technology to help keep you secure while buying and browsing your favourite stores on the web.

When shopping online, use only a secure Net browser:
Kevin Wasslen, Visa Canada's director of risk management, urges shoppers to use only browsers with 128-bit encryption, the highest security level possible. This ensures your credit card number is automatically encrypted (scrambled) before it is sent to a retailer through the Internet.

To find out if your browser uses 128-bit encryption, click Help at the top of your computer screen. Then click "About Internet Explorer" or Netscape or Mozilla, depending on which browser you use.

Look for the lock icon
If a retailer's website is secure, it will show an unbroken lock or key icon in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Wasslen says the lock icon is your assurance that only you and the merchant can view the transaction details. If you cannot find the icon on your web browser, turn on the Status Bar, located under View in the menu bar.
Also look for the prefix "https" in the web address box on your browser. This ensures you are in a safe environment when you start inputting confidential information, like a credit card number.

Don't send sensitive information via e-mail
Never send payment information through e-mail. E-mail is not encrypted, so it's not secure.

You can be secure with your credit card
Whether you're shopping online or in person, most major credit card companies have zero cardholder liability policies, which protect you from fraud. That means you're not liable for unauthorized transactions charged to your card.

Online credit card security
Credit card issuers in Canada are experimenting with ways to make online shopping more secure -- with techniques that use special passwords and one-time use credit card numbers:
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce offers a CIBC Entourage American Express Card smart card embedded with a microchip. Cardholders are given special software and a smart card reader that attaches to their personal computer.

When customers want to buy online, they visit a participating merchant's website and insert their card into the reader. Using this system, cardholders never have to enter their credit card number. The software detects the smart card reader and the cardholder is prompted to enter a password. The card and password are authenticated by CIBC.

In the U.S., online merchants have started offering the security of "Verified by VISA" or "MasterCard® SecureCode™," a one-time form the consumer fills out to make sure the card he or she is using for the purchase is really theirs. Verified by VISA and MasterCard® SecureCode™ are the secure online payment services that allow you to enjoy protection when you pay online.

Verified by VISA and MasterCard® SecureCode™ enhance your existing credit cards with a personal password of your choice. When you shop at participating online stores, you enter your password in the same way you would enter your PIN at an ATM. It means that only you can use your credit cards online, giving you the same assurances you have when you use your cards in a bricks-and-mortar store; it's just a few simple steps that can make you worry-free when shopping online.

Shop with firms you know
Try to shop with reputable retailers who post their privacy policies on their websites. If you want to try shopping with a new online retailer, ask the company for its physical location (address and phone number) so that you can check its record with the Better Business Bureau.

Customer satisfaction policies
Find out the company's refund and return policies before you make your purchase. Take the time to find out where your gifts can be returned if they turn out to be the wrong size or colour. This is also true when buying on auction through eBay -- check returns policies before you bid.

Keep a paper trail
Wasslen says that although the Internet promises a "paperless society," it's a good idea to keep a hard copy record of your purchases for tracking delivery or to return or exchange items. Make sure you note the merchant's Internet address and always print off and save e-mail purchase confirmations. If you have any trouble getting a screen that will print, try a "screen capture" instead, by clicking PrtSc on your keyboard and them immediately going to a photo software program ("Paste New") or Word ("Paste") to make a new, printable document from the captured page.

Assume nothing:
The Better Business Bureau recommends you make sure you understand everything involved before placing an order. Be clear on the price and any shipping and handling charges, especially when it involves a cross-border purchase. Know the terms of any product or service guarantees. Find out how long it will be before you receive your order.

Determine (early) how your item will arrive
Canada Post has a rather punitive policy about what it deems to be "imported goods" and will often charge you a $5 fee just for delivering an item it imagines will be subject to taxes and duties. If you use a U.S.-based post office box instead (as about 5000 British Columbians do in Blaine, WA), you might discover that all your good planning is for nothing. If, for example, Amazon.com has decided to do you a "favour" and expedited your order via DHL or FedEx or (heaven forbid) UPS, it will undoubtedly turn out that these courier services will not deliver to a post office box. Your package may be held in limbo -- indefinitely -- in Seattle or Burlington, WA for pickup, or even worse, you will have to fetch it from UPS in an industrial park well off the I-5, where the business hours do not include weekends! And you still might get nailed for import duties, if you bring your item back into Canada.

Consider other ways of getting your gifts to your recipients:
Many smart online companies offer a service whereby they will insert your personal message (sometimes even a nice card) to your recipients and ship the item direct. This often includes confirmation of delivery, for free. So, if you're sitting at your computer in Prince George, and want to send a nice package of cheeses from The Wisconsin Cheeseman to your wonderful Aunt Barbara in Wilmette, IL, it's an easily accomplished feat.
Or if your friend Glenn -- in Los Angeles -- is a steak-lover, you can use Pfaelzer Brothers with assurance. You can even check their various holiday cut-off dates, to be certain your gift arrives on time.

Track your Gift with the USPS:
If you are mailing from the U.S., it's a wise investment of a very few pennies at the USPS to obtain a tracking number. You can choose either confirmation of delivery or confirmation plus a signature. This process offers iron-clad security, and you can even track your delivery online.

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About the Author: Anne Garber RSS for Anne's articles - Visit Anne's website Anne Garber's media career spans 45 years in both print and electronic media, as author, publisher, photographer, columnist, broadcaster and the mother of two -- and evalu8.org's Managing Director. She has written 14 best-selling books and -- with editor John T.D. Keyes (who is also her husband) -- writes food, business and travel features worldwide; she contributes online to travellady.com and chocolate-atlas.com. The couple writes a travel column for the Culver City News and co-authored Victoria's Best Bargains, Exploring Ethnic Vancouver and Cheap Eats Vancouver. Ms. Garber has worked as both publishers' and authors' agent, and is known as the 'go-to' person in the book, magazine and newspaper publishing industries for legal opinion on North American trademark and copyright issues; she is currently considered a leading expert on internet copyright infringement actions and online fraud investigations. Anne Garber divides her time between Vancouver, BC, Seattle, WA, Toronto, ON and Paris, France. Follow her blog at http://annegarber.blogspot.com Click here to visit Anne's website More from Anne Garber Garber Rant The future of World Communications Travel Savvy Packing tips for Women Travel Savvy Cant carryon your laptop Heres the answer Travel Savvy How to Travel WrinkleFree Garber on Business How to get the media exposure you think you deserve

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What characterizes Chinese online consumer behaivior? - A larger part of internet users are shopping online compared with other countries but spending much less on each transaction. C2C market is the largest one online if not taking in account EDI and B2B that do not occur through websites. Taobao (mostly C2C) stands for about 80% of the market but other malls appear towards B2C. B2T (group buying) is deeply rooted in China because of the bargaining mentality with thousands of sites online. Also, any shop should have live support, Chinese like to bargain, even when shopping online. If they shop jackets for 3000 and get a pair of socks free or they bargain the shipment away feels better for them than if the shipment is waived from the beginning. They need to interact with the seller and have something to say before buying.
Re: e-Commerce and e-Payment providers - When I came back to Japan in 1999 I sometimes used to ask my students if they would buy anything on the Internet and at that time most thought it was too risky. I'd encourage them to try by using well known sites such as Amazon.co.jp and also pointed out that using a credit card on a reputable site was safer than using it at a restaurant. I can't remember the last time I had that discussion or when the "tipping point" occurred in Japan. To answer your other question, I use Paypal for several reasons: 1. Brand familiarity 2. Easy to use 3. Free to withdraw 50,000yen+ to my Japanese bank account - a huge benefit (but maybe other systems also offer that...?) 4. Easy to cancel subscriptions On the down side, their transaction fees are quite costly, they are difficult to contact and when disputes arise you can sometimes lose even when you can prove via your tracking service that the disputed item was "delivered" to the customer's address!
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