On-line shopping, what you need to know

by Carmen Scott

Category: Things everyone should know…

What you need to know to use on-line shopping and avoid the pitfalls...

Your first choice is to pick a secure password. Don't use family names or pet names and absolutely no birth dates. Also keep your passwords unique from account to account. Use upper and lower case letters and numbers. Remember you want your password to be as unique as your signature. 

Always make sure the on-line store you will be shopping from uses SSL ( secure sockets layer) which means that they encrypt sensitive information. Look for the locked padlock icon at the bottom of your browser window.

When shopping on line a little research goes along way. Learn about the merchants and look for reviews from other shoppers. Many e-commerce sites like E Bay have feed back systems. Before you make any purchases ask questions; such as what kind of refund or return policy do they have, how do they ship the item and what kind of postal or courier service do they use. Think of the questions that you would ask a sales associate in any store that you frequent.

If you find a website that seems too good to be true with extremely low prices or large quantities of an impossible to find item... STOP... these are red flags that you need to investigate further.

Always ask for a delivery date and a tracking number, and don’t overlook the advised delivery date. If your shipment is delayed you need to contact the seller and ask why.

Make sure that the on-line store uses a Pay Pal verification seller. Ask or check for their membership status and look for a verified member who has been active for at least 60 days.

If you still feel uneasy about shopping on line go to EBay.ca and click on "buy" and it will direct you to an on-line buying tutorial.

Happy and safe shopping!