12.11.07 | Be careful with your credit card this holiday season!
Most people will be doing at least a bit of shopping online this Xmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza season. There are no lines and you can easily save a few dollars over the brick-and-mortars. Most of these online sites are perfectly safe to shop at. You’ve got your Amazon, Buy.com, Overstock, Blue Nile - they’ve all been around almost 10 years and are virtually household names. But, you do need to be careful out there, particularly with the smaller sites that you’d come across randomly, usually in a Google search. These little guys may not be as legit as they appear and there are some that you should flat out avoid. Here are some tips:
Are there any reviews?
When you use shopping search engines (like PriceGrabber or Shopping.com), you’ll find reviews of each of the online stores they include. And eBay Stores are tracked by their feedback rating. Check to see if the site you’re on is listed in either of those or in a site like Resellerratings.com.
Are they secure?
Put something in your shopping cart and head to the checkout. Is the site in secure mode? In other words, if you look at your browser URL bar, does it begin with “https”? That’s key. Also, look for a Better Business Bureau or Verisign logo. Sketchy sites won’t have those. You can also try a program like McAfee SiteAdvisor, which can alert you to problematic online stores.
Do they have a physical address?
Check out the “Contact Us” or “About Us” page and look for an address and phone number. Be wary if all they have is some generic text and an info@xxx.com email address.
Did you check your credit card bill?
If you do buy from the questionable site, be sure to check out your bill soon after. Are the charges exactly what your email receipt contains? If not, don’t be afraid to call up your credit card’s customer service and dispute the charges!
Online shopping is great for many people. It eliminates frustration and can help you plan better for your gift shopping. Just be wary who you shop with and you’ll have a great time!