How to Shop Safely Online: 6 Useful Tips

There are plenty of justified reasons to shop online. You can easily select from a wide range of products while sitting on the sofa in your lounge. However, in today’s highly competitive digital era, something alarming can also happen while making an online purchase. If you want to save yourself against such risks, then read the article below for valuable information.

Use Familiar Websites

When making a purchase online, make sure that you use familiar sites. You can try new sites and eCommerce stores for small purchases. But, for a massive amount of online shopping, you are advised to choose from trusted and reliable sites. Search for sites that hold a strong market and online reputation for e-shopping like a globally recognized site known as Amazon.com. You can also pin down locally recognized online stores, for instance, Supersales. This site is known for its best deals, you can also find your favorite brands for less.

Always use a site with a top-level domain. Ordering from a familiar and secure website can help protect financial information from being stolen. Avoid doing shopping from unsecured and non-familiar websites. 

Choose a Reputable Merchant

You must pick a reputable merchant to experience safe online shopping. You don’t want to waste your money on spam shopping. Always place your orders from an online seller with a strong market reputation and business credibility. To check on that, you can read the review section, customer feedback, and site rankings. If you know the store already or have physically visited its local store, then there is apparently no problem. You have positive experiences and you are probably satisfied with the site’s quality. But, if you are a first-time buyer or don’t know the store, then you need to be extra careful. Do a background check on the merchant to ensure that you are ordering from a site with favorable reviews. 

Avoid Offers that are “Too Good to Be True”

You shouldn’t fall for offers that seem too good to be true. If an e-store is offering too much at a very low price, then open up your eyes. This is suspicious and you must research the site / online seller before making any purchase. These sites have to offer cheap, damaged, low-quality products to customers. These stores get to earn extra income through the “bait and switch” scam.   However, there are a few online shopping sites like supersales that have to offer reasonable deals, Womens fashion sale, sale on different branded products, etc. You can check a reputable site that offers something that seems to be true.

Always Use Credit Card or PayPal

Generally, it is recommended not to use a debit card or e-checks when placing orders online. These payment options have less protection and can pose a serious financial risk. However, when it comes to credit card purchases, you get to limit your liability. No financial information will be stolen, and you wouldn’t be out of funds in the meantime. You can designate one credit card or even PayPal account for doing online shopping or e-commerce transactions. 

In case, your card information gets leaked or anything, you can immediately call a customer service center and block your card to save yourself from other potential transactions.  

Don’t Overshare Information

When it comes to online shopping, don’t overshare your personal and financial information. You must know that no online store or e-trailer will ask for your social security number or your date of birth. By sharing more information with an online seller, you are providing more opportunities to cause damage.

The more hacker or scammer knows about you, the easier it will be for him to steal relative data and even your identity. Whenever you are purchasing something online, make sure that you provide as little personal data as possible. 

Check Your Bank Statements Regularly

Last, but not least, develop a habit to check your bank statements more often. Don’t wait for too long to check your bill. When you review your bill at the end of each month, it is quite challenging to track every transaction you made during the last weeks. Thus, it is best to go online regularly to view the electronic statement. 

Checking your accounts, credit cards, debit cards, etc. can help you save from scammers and any fraudulent activities. Prefer to buy goods online with your credit card.

If you see something wrong or unusual in the statements and bills, then instantly notify your bank so that you may not be liable for any charges.