Don’t Be a Victim of Internet Scams
Shopping on the internet has become more and more popular, which has been great for the consumer – it’s never been easier to shop. Also, a more competitive market coupled with the cost-effectiveness with selling online has encouraged cheap selling prices for goods.
Nonetheless, as the e-commerce landscape has grown, so too has the need to be mindful of your consumer rights, and what you should do if you are in receipt of faulty goods or items that you paid for but didn’t actually get. Data is available online, like the consumer protection act 1987.
Another consideration is which payment provider to use to buy something, as each payment gateway has its own terms. To take an example, Paypal are an independent judge only for physical goods, not digital downloads. Doing your research can prevent you getting cheated by internet fraud.
Our word to the wise is to do your research regarding the vendor : do they display their postal address and phone number? What is the seller’s terms and conditions? Their returns policy? Their privacy policy? All these questions must be answered prior to considering buying from the vendor.
Another very issue to think about: what are the methods of purchase? In 2009, it’s not enough to merely look for “the padlock” (SSL certificate) – this doesn’t tell you how they store your information, only how it’s transmitted when you make your purchase. If in any doubt, only buy from vendors who use 3rd party payment gateways such as PayPal, Google Checkout, WorldPay, SagePay and NoChex.You can also verify the reputation the seller has with his payment gateway, e.g. check his PayPal account and how many orders have taken place on this particular account.
