Buying things from online stores saves our time a lot. We do not need to physically survey the price of an item from one store to another. With our gadgets, we can have access to millions of e-commerce business around the globe.
But the truth is that online transaction is vulnerable to fraudulent offenses. Ranging from a data breach, credit card fraud, and false recipient address, cyber attacks to online deals are always taking victims. If you are a first-timer in online shopping, it is better for you to read this article first.
Payment Platforms
If you happen not to know about payment platforms, they are online services that guarantee safe payment in an online transaction. Authorize.Net, PayPal, SecurePay.com, and Pay Simple are the examples of payment platforms.
They can provide the best security for your credit card because once you are registered with one platform, you do not need to give your data to the online vendors with whom you are dealing. The logic is that we may do transactions with many different online stores of which the security quality is dubious.
Checking Suspicious E-mails
By using a payment platform, we may feel safe when we shop online. And we may give our emails for the vendors to receive promotional news and other information related to the store’s products. You need to be careful, though. Cybercriminals are doing everything they can to get your identity. And like many other Internet users, we all provide our complete data on our emails.
Sometimes, there are emails that represent a store to which we are subscribing. But after we thoroughly check the spelling, the store’s name on the bogus email has one or two different letters from the original store.
If you happen to encounter such emails, do not follow any procedures written in there. Clicking attached links is also dangerous. You must delete those emails immediately and block the sender.
Also, check any disclaimers on the store’s subscription. Usually, cybercriminals get their victims by sending fake emails that promise vouchers and gifts to the recipient as long as he/she follows the written command that comes with the email. And in such case, most legit online stores inform their subscribers about the procedures of their promotional programs. If things do not seem to match, you must clear your inbox from such trap emails.
Inspecting the Shipment and Returning Policies
Not all online stores have satisfactory shipment policies. For instance, if you buy t-shirts worth $220 from an apparel store abroad, they may or may not provide a guarantee. Pick the stores which are willing to deal with a lost shipment case. You do not want to wait in vague for your goods, and later receive news about them being lost in the way.
Second, read the returning policies of the store. You do not want to receive a defective product, and then you are stuck with it.
If you are not careful with the terms and agreement of the store, and you happen to purchase a good from the one that does not accept either refund or replacement, then there is nothing you can do if you are not satisfied with the item you receive.