I love shopping online because you avoid long lines, save time, and all you have to do when you are done is wait for your things to come to you. We all have different reasons for loving online shopping, but there are tips we should never forget if we want to stay safe while doing our online shopping. By following these tips, we will only see the good side to shopping from the comfort of our homes.
Use a Computer for Your Online Shopping
Most of us like to do almost everything from our smartphone since it’ s more comfortable, but it has its drawbacks. The downside to shopping on our smartphone is that they are not as secure as our computers.
Smartphones don’t feature the anti-virus software’ s our computers have, and that makes it easier for hackers to gain access to your sensitive information. It’s also better to do your online shopping on your computer because you are more likely to lose your phone than your computer.
Don’t Shop on Shady Looking Sites
Some fake sites look almost exactly like the real thing, and it’s hard to tell if it’s legit or not, but if you see one with a poor design that is an indicator that the site may not be so trustworthy after all.
If the suspicious looking site also has hard to close pop-ups or odd web address, that is another reason to keep looking and do your online shopping somewhere else.
Use Your Credit Card Instead of Your Debit or Gift Card​
What payment method you end up using is, of course, your decision, but it’s always a good idea to use your credit card instead of your debit or gift card. That’s a better choice because your credit card company are required to allow their clients to debate charges that they claim they did not make.
Checking your credit card history daily is also a good idea, so that way, not a day goes by without you knowing what happens in your account.
Avoid Sites That Ask for Too Much Information
It’s completely normal that when shopping online you are asked for information such as your name, shipping address, and your credit card, but you should never be asked for information such as your social security or ID number. If you are shopping on a site that asks your for that information, leave as soon as possible.
Don’t Forget About
When you are done shopping, don’t forget about logging out of your Amazon (or whatever other sites you are using) account, so no one else has access to your information. Before placing you order, make sure that all the information you typed in is correct, so taking a minute or two re-read everything will prevent your neighbor from receiving your new computer.
One more thing to keep in mind is that it’s never a good idea to do your online shopping on a public WiFi or public computers. Your information is not as safe, and it’s a much better idea to use your device’ s data than to turn to these unsafe options.
Don’t forget about doing your homework on the site you are buying if it’s not a well-known site such as Amazon. Make sure that the site you are shopping on uses a secure connection, you can identify a secure connection by making sure that the address starts with https:// in the browser bar.
Reading reviews from other people that have used that site will also give you an insight if the site you are planning on using is trustworthy or not.
Do Research on the Vendors Return or Exchange Policies
Before you buy a product, make sure to inform yourself on whether the vendor accepts returns or exchanges. You should not simply take for granted that it is something that they are going to do. That way you are sure there won’t be any surprises when you try to return your product.
Conclusion
Shopping online has its positive side, but if we are not careful it can also be a scary place. By following the above tips you will stay safe and only have to enjoy whatever it is you are buying. How do you stay safe online? Share your tips in the comments.
See more: How To Secure Your Social Media Accounts
