Image and article by Kathleen Riley-Daniels
Online shopping is like Las Vegas – always open. The Internet offers
up stores from around the world at your fingertips, 24-hours a day,
7-days a weeks, 365-days a year. You can order pet supplies, art work,
exotic spices, handcrafted goods and so much more. Online shopping lets
you take advantage of lack of brick-and-mortar with greater savings,
sometimes heavily discounted pricing and safe payment methods. It really
does bring the world right into your family room.
When you are shopping online, there are some simple precautions that
will help keep your online shopping experience safe and happy.
- Use a Secure Web Browser – They scramble or “encrypt” your
purchase information and make it so just you and the vendor can read it.
Online storefronts can often tell if your browser is or is not secure
and will help you buy safely. Do NOT order from online stores that do
not provide secured transactions.
- Keep Records – Most online stores will email you confirmation
of your order, print the confirmation out and save them to compare what
you order to what you receive and to verify credit / debit card
charges.
- Check your credit card and bank statements – look for errors
and purchases you did not make. If you do find mistakes, contact your
credit card company or bank immediately. In case you were wondering,
yes, it is safe to order online with a debit card.
- Check the online store’s policies – Check the disclosures
about the web site’s security, refund and return policies, and
statements about how the web site will use your personal information. It
is usually a good idea to look at the “About” pages and “FAQ” pages to
learn a bit more about the company you are buying from. If a web store
says nothing about protecting your privacy, you may want to shop
somewhere else.
Protect Your Identity
- Never share or tell your password – this tip applies to
anyone, not even your Internet service provider (ISP). The only time you
should ever need to use a password is to gain access to a site. No
legitimate service will ever ask you for your password.
- Be mindful of what you download – Resist the temptation to
download files, run programs or view graphics sent to you by strangers,
and you may want to be wary of things coming from your friends too –
sometimes their accounts have been hacked and a virus could be sent to
you. Beware of clicking on URL “links” sent to you in email by people
you do not know.
- Really Important - Keep your personal information private!
Unless you know the people asking and why they are asking for it, never
tell anyone your address, telephone number, Social Security number,
email address or passwords. Most tasks are able to be accomplished
without sharing any of this information, and you’ll want to be sure the
people asking have a really legitimate reason for needing it.
Want to know more about reading pet food labels? “Like” us on Facebook and ask questions there. Ready to shop? Visit us at DogFoodDirect.com
Thanks for stopping past!