Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

Garber on Business: Selling online? Help your potential customers shop online safely

Garber on Business: Selling online? Help your potential customers shop online safely

The Internet can be an exciting tool that puts vast information at your fingertips. With a click of a mouse, it lets you buy an airline ticket, book a hotel, send flowers to a friend, or purchase your favourite stock.

Good deals, convenience and choices abound on the Internet. But before you use all the Internet has to offer, be cyber-smart and make your online experience safe. When shopping online, there are several things you can do to add to your shopping safety. Being aware of technology scams, checking website policies and understanding your credit card rights will go a long way toward providing privacy and identity protection.

Shopping online offers lots of benefits that you won't find shopping in a store or by mail. For example, the Internet is always open - seven days a week, 24 hours a day. And, bargains can be numerous online. Shopping on the Internet also can be as safe as shopping in a store or by mail. Keep in mind the following tips to help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one:


Some websites provide cost comparisons, assisting you in finding the lowest price for your request. Be aware, however, that there have been reports of a few sites corrupting the comparisons to return results that sell product -- not to aid the hapless consumer.
Once you have decided where you want to make your purchase, go through that website and look for policies defining warranties, refunds, returns, legal statements and privacy policies.


Warranties -- where provided -- will tell you what is covered and for what time period. This online section will also tell you whom to contact if you need a replacement, a refund or a repair. Before buying a high-ticket item, spend some time browsing bulletin boards and blogs for objective feedback on how well guarantees and warranties work for that particular company or product. For example -- although I don't generally promote buying extended warranties -- in the case of new iPod purchases, the failure rate of the batteries is so high, that it really pays off to buy the 3-year package. In fact, reading the fine print reveals that Apple, the manufacturer, allows ONLY ONE WARRANTY INQUIRY, compared to unlimited calls with the $99 add-on warranty.


  • Be sure to read the refund and return policy. Will the website provide a refund? Can the item be returned to a retail outlet? Will there be a restocking fee?

  • Legal statements posted on the website will determine where legal proceedings are to be held. Assuming you are shopping in the United States or Canada, you may have to travel to pursue a complaint. If you are shopping outside of North America, be sure to know with whom you are shopping.

    The privacy statement may surprise you. Read it carefully. Many companies feel free to sell your personal information or add you to multiple email lists. By using their website, you give them permission to hand out your email address and possibly your physical address and phone number.

  • Using a credit card online is relatively safe. All transactions are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. If your credit card is used without authorization you are generally only liable for the first $50, and sometimes nothing at all.
    In the U.S., the Internet is also subject to the Federal Mail/Telephone Order Merchandise Rule which requires companies to ship your order within 30 days or notify you of the delay.


  • When you are making a purchase, try to limit the amount of personal information you give out. Never give out your passwords. And finally, be sure to keep a paper trail. Print out the seller's contact information, a copy of your receipt, a page describing the item you ordered, and the e-mail confirming the order.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Online security:


  • Use a secure browser.
    This is the software you use to navigate the Internet. Your browser should comply with industry security standards, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or SET Secure Electronic Transaction. These standards encrypt or scramble the purchase information you send over the Internet, ensuring the security of your transaction. Most computers come with a browser already installed. You also can download some browsers for free over the Internet.

  • Shop with companies you know and trust.
    Anyone can set up shop online under almost any name. If you're not familiar with a merchant, ask for a paper catalogue or brochure to get a better idea of their merchandise and services. Also, determine the company's refund and return policies before you place your order.

  • Keep your password(s) private.
    Be creative when you establish a password, and never give it to anyone. Avoid using a telephone number, birth date, or a portion of your Social Security number. Instead, use a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols.

  • Pay by credit or charge card.
    If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, consumers have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. In the case of unauthorized use of a consumer's credit or charge card, consumers are generally held liable only for the first $50 in charges. Some cards may provide additional warranty or purchase protection benefits.

  • Keep a record.
    Be sure to print a copy of your purchase order and confirmation number for your records. Also, you should know that the federal Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule covers orders made via the Internet. This means that unless stated otherwise, merchandise must be delivered within 30 days, and if there are delays, the company must notify you.

  • Pay your bills online.
    Some companies let you pay bills and check your account status online. Before you sign up for any service, evaluate how the company is securing your financial and personal information. Many companies explain their security procedures on their Web site. If you don't see a security description, call or email the company and ask.
    Online privacy:

    Technology now provides companies with the ability to collect information about you and potentially give that information to others. While the Internet can serve as a tremendous resource for information, products and services, you should be sure to safeguard your privacy online by following these tips.


  • Keep your personal information private.
    Don't disclose personal information--such as your address, telephone number, Social Security number or email address--unless you know who's collecting the information, why they're collecting it and how they'll use it. If you have children, teach them to check with you before giving out personal or family information online.

  • Look for a company's online privacy policy.
    Many companies with privacy practices post their privacy policy on their Web site. A company's privacy policy should disclose what information is being collected on the Web site and how that information is being used. Before you provide a company with personal information, check its privacy policy. If you can't find a policy, send an email or written message to the Web site to ask about its policy and request that it be posted on the site.

  • Make choices.
    Many companies give you a choice on their Web site as to whether and how your personal information is used. These companies allow you to decline--or "opt-out" of--having personal information, such as your email address, used or shared with other companies. Look for this as part of the company's privacy policy.




  • Garber on Business Selling online Help your potential customers shop online safely - To learn more about this author, visit Anne Garber's Website.

    Like this article? Share it with your friends

    Article Feedback
     Article Feedback No article feedback found.
      Leave Your Feedback
    article feedback

    Article Feedback
    John Alexander
    John has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center.
    I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website

    Cheryl Matthynssens

    Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

    - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website

    Jay Kubassek
    (Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek)  In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.

     

    As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)

     

    Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. 

     

    Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper.  Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website

    Dave Kurlan
    Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

    Richard Jefferies
    For an online Car Loan Calculator and finance for a cheap car loan. Get approved on car loans or car finance in Australia with cheap bank car loans and finding a car finance broker. Commercial car loans including business car finance and car lease. Car Loan Calculator has information on finance companies and getting the right cheap car loan from banks at best car loan rates and a online car loan calculator for all finance in Australia. Get the best car finance with our help at Car Loan Calculator and Finance Ezi. - Visit Richard Jefferies's Website

    Stephanie Robey
    Stephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals.

    She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com   Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences.  Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.

    Read Steph's Blog
    Meet Steph and Dave
    Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich
    - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website

    Linda Richardson
    Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website

    Jeff Foster
    WebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas.  We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing
    - Visit Jeff Foster's Website


    To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

    About The Author


    Anne Garber
    (Visit Anne's Website) Anne Garber's media career spans 43 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. A practicum in San Diego as Environmental Practice Group paralegal was followed by a return to the Pacific Northwest, where 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.

    Anne Garber is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
    About The Author

    View Author Blog
    View Author Blog

    View Author Video
    View Author Video

    Free Downloads


    Anne Garber's

    Complete
    List Of
    Business-Travel
    Articles

    Name
    Email
    If you enjoyed this article, get Anne Garber's Complete List of Business-Travel Articles For FREE!

    More Anne Garber
    Travel Savvy BagFinder Luggage tags HandleWraps
    Garber Rant The future of World Communications
    Travel Savvy Passengers paying for everything in flight
    The real skinny on critics How we do what we do and why
    Garber on Business Pier 1 and The Almighty Pricepoint
    Garber on Business How to lose customers through sheer stupidity
    Travel Savvy Cant carryon your laptop Heres the answer
    Travel Savvy Staying in touch for free or ET Call home
    Travel Savvy The Big Travel Picture regarding Passports Travel Documents
    Travel Savvy Shopping the World Stuff you just cannot buy at home
    Free Downloads


     
     
     


    Evan Elite Authors
    Dianne Crampton  
    Joe Dager  
    Stephanie Robey  
    Evan Elite Authors

    Become An Author
    Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
    Become An Author

    Evan's Latest Video
    Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
    Evan's Latest Video

    Business Opportunities
    "Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

    How to Start An Online Business

    Click Here To Learn More
    Business Opportunities



    Evan's Newsletter
    Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
    Name:
    Email:
    Evan`s Newsletter

    Free Downloads
    Strategic Planning Guide Icon Strategic Planning Guide
    Increase Sales Icon Increase Sales
    Leadership Training Hospitals Icon Leadership Training Hospitals
    Pulse Check Assessment Icon Pulse Check Assessment
    Professional Networking Icon Professional Networking
    Free Downloads - Complete List

    Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
    Top 50 Political Blogs
    Top 50 Political Blogs
    Top Political Blogs of 2009
     
    Email The Reporters
    Email The Reporters
    Press Release Builder
     
    Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

    SEO For Africa
    SEO For Africa
    Hannah Hagan Mankessim, Ghana,
    Hannah Hagan
    Mankessim, Ghana
    SEO For Africa

    If I Were A Startup...
    Robert Iachetta, $372k to $921k in 2 years
    Robert Iachetta
    $372k to $921k in 2 years
    Gord Hotchkiss, $113k to $1.5 Mil in 5 years
    Gord Hotchkiss
    $113k to $1.5 Mil in 5 years
    If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

    Famous Entrepreneurs
    Magic Johnson, Johnson Development Corp.
    Magic Johnson
    Johnson Development Corp.
    Walt Disney, Walt Disney
    Walt Disney
    Walt Disney
    Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

    Entrepreneur Advice
    Timothy Ferriss, 4 Hour Work Week
    Timothy Ferriss
    4 Hour Work Week
    David Allen, Getting Things Done
    David Allen
    Getting Things Done
    Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

    Popular Articles
    (Premium Authors)

         Where to Advertise Your Small Business Online…Without Paying a Penny!
    By Caroline Melberg
         Would You Rather be an EEL or a Shark?
    By Caroline Melberg
         What Beer PopTarts and Hurricanes Have to do with YOUR Business
    By Caroline Melberg

    Have A Suggestion?
    Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
    Have A Suggestion?

    More Evan Carmichael
    More Information