What is online shopping?
Online contracts are classified as distance contracts, which means that the trader / service provider / seller and the consumer in lack of their simultaneous, actual and physical presence enter into contract not by meeting in person but only in an electronic way.
How is a contract concluded electronically in practice?
The consumer in front of a screen orders the selected product by clicking in the web store or by sending an e-mail. The process of virtual purchasing in most cases includes the preliminary registration on the website, the studying of the offers, the selection of the products and putting them into the basket.
What are the advantages of online shopping for consumer?
The consumer, in case of online shopping can buy the selected product rapidly by doing some clicks from home or work saving time and energy in spite of the larger distance arising from the endless and unlimited market offered by the internet. In addition, the internet can also facilitate the shopping of consumers with reduced mobility. Since the consumer does not have to go to the premises of the trader, and is not limited by the opening hours, he/she can place an order at all times. Such items can also be purchased that are not available in the surroundings of the consumer, thus the choice of goods is significantly broader, and moreover the delivery can be requested not only to the place of residence but to the workplace, as well. Furthermore as a result of the absence of the parties the risk of buying counterfeit is extremely high.
How can I avoid these risks during the purchase?
For strengthening the consumers’ confidence related to electronic commerce and the minimization of the previously mentioned risks the relevant regulations oblige the operator of the webshop to inform their clients about their products in details and also ensure a so called time for consideration for the clients . We can protect ourselves from many difficulties and annoyance, moreover we can avoid future legal disputes if we purchase on a website where detailed information is available, and we are also aware of the specific conditions of exercising the right of withdrawal from the contract. In addition, we should keep a respectful distance from campaigns and discount offers, as golden rule of “it is just too good to be true” is always prevalent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Use Familiar Web Sites
Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can get rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. Moreover Beware misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain
2. Look for the Lock
Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if it has it because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://) and an icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your Web browser. Never give anyone your credit card over e-mail. PayPal, however, is still a good, safe way to make a payment.
3. Don't Tell All
No online shopping store is going to need your social security number or your birthday to do business. But if a bad-guy gets them, combined with your credit card number for purchases, they can do a lot of damage. When you can, default to giving up the least amount of information.
4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal (after all, there's more than one way to get to your money). If you do see something wrong, jump on the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, don't pay the bill until you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however; after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway!
5. Use Strong Passwords
We like to beat this dead horse about making sure to utilize uncrackable passwords, but it's never more important than when banking and shopping. Our tips for making a unique password for each site can come in handy during a time of year when shopping around probably means creating new accounts on all sorts of shopping sites.
6. Think Mobile
The NRF did a survey that also predicts that 25 percent of adults will do their online shopping via their smartphones, but mostly as a way of find gifts, not purchase them. You can buck that trend, just follow the advice above. Better yet, download store specific apps like those for Amazon, Target, etc. and use them to find what you want and make the purchase without going to the store or the Web site.
7. Stay at Home
just remember to log out every time you use a public terminal, even if you were just checking e-mail.. But what about using your own laptop to shop while you're out. It's one thing to hand over a credit card to get swiped at the checkout, but when you have to enter the number and expiration date on a Web site while sitting in a public cafe, you're giving an over-the-shoulder snooper plenty of time to see the goods.
8. Privatize Your Wi-Fi
If you do decide to go out with the laptop to shop, you'll be on a Wi-Fi connection. Only use the wireless if you access the Web over a virtual private network (VPN) connection. Stick to known networks, even if they're free.
9. Know What's Too Good to Be True
McAfee compiled a list of scams to look for and one of them is the offer of a free product with purchase, in particular the iPad or even holiday job offers. Many of these "offers" will come in via social media. Beware even of your friends, neighbors and relations, who might innocently forward such a thing. Skepticism in these cases can go a long way toward saving you from a stolen card number.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are tips for staying safe online while knocking out that holiday shopping list.
1. Use Familiar Web Sites
Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can get rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. Moreover Beware misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain
2. Look for the Lock
Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if it has it because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://) and an icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your Web browser. Never give anyone your credit card over e-mail. PayPal, however, is still a good, safe way to make a payment.
3. Don't Tell All
No online shopping store is going to need your social security number or your birthday to do business. But if a bad-guy gets them, combined with your credit card number for purchases, they can do a lot of damage. When you can, default to giving up the least amount of information.
4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal (after all, there's more than one way to get to your money). If you do see something wrong, jump on the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, don't pay the bill until you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however; after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway!
5. Use Strong Passwords
We like to beat this dead horse about making sure to utilize uncrackable passwords, but it's never more important than when banking and shopping. Our tips for making a unique password for each site can come in handy during a time of year when shopping around probably means creating new accounts on all sorts of shopping sites.
6. Think Mobile
The NRF did a survey that also predicts that 25 percent of adults will do their online shopping via their smartphones, but mostly as a way of find gifts, not purchase them. You can buck that trend, just follow the advice above. Better yet, download store specific apps like those for Amazon, Target, etc. and use them to find what you want and make the purchase without going to the store or the Web site.
7. Stay at Home
just remember to log out every time you use a public terminal, even if you were just checking e-mail.. But what about using your own laptop to shop while you're out. It's one thing to hand over a credit card to get swiped at the checkout, but when you have to enter the number and expiration date on a Web site while sitting in a public cafe, you're giving an over-the-shoulder snooper plenty of time to see the goods.
8. Privatize Your Wi-Fi
If you do decide to go out with the laptop to shop, you'll be on a Wi-Fi connection. Only use the wireless if you access the Web over a virtual private network (VPN) connection. Stick to known networks, even if they're free.
9. Know What's Too Good to Be True
McAfee compiled a list of scams to look for and one of them is the offer of a free product with purchase, in particular the iPad or even holiday job offers. Many of these "offers" will come in via social media. Beware even of your friends, neighbors and relations, who might innocently forward such a thing. Skepticism in these cases can go a long way toward saving you from a stolen card number.
Comments
Post a Comment