Taking care of before you buy online

Cyber Security is one of the challenges that pose threat to the safe shopping. Inadequate care can turmoil the country economy. The consumers are susceptible to financial losses if adequate care is not taken at the time of shopping.
 Ensure the computer/laptop or mobile is installed with antivirus program. The antivirus program needs to be updated at regular intervals. Check before you shop and give out sensitive personal information like credit card number. Internet safety begins at home, so make sure you protect yourself.
 Avoid shopping using public IP and cyber cafe.
 Look for security on the vendor website. Check to make sure the vendor uses a secure site to process the sale. There should be a letter "s" after the "http" in the web address, and a closed padlock icon to the left of the browser address. If you don't see these, it is best to try a different merchant.
 Update your browser. Be sure to keep your browser updated to the latest version. This way, you'll have the latest security patches, which can close the loopholes phishers look to exploit.
 Check the vendor's privacy policy. Find out what happens to your information once you enter it? How does the merchant safeguard your credit card and other personal information? The vendor's privacy policy should detail this. Look for it and read it before completing a sale. Some vendors offer to create an account for you and save your credit card information for easy ordering. This is convenient, but it's something you may want to avoid for security reasons – and to prevent those impulse buys.
 Check whether the site has provided complete details in the link “contact us” including telephone number, email id and complete postal address. Anything abnormal in terms of unbelievable prices or offers and the improper contact details should be re-verified before you do shopping.
 Check reviews. One of the best things about the Internet is all the information available on it. You can check reviews by other consumers and find out if a merchant is on the up-and-up. Find out if it deliver on time? Are products as advertised? Look for reviews that don't sound overly angry and aren't arising out of misunderstanding. Few reviews should give you a good idea what to expect.
 Read return policies carefully. Check the item selected is being purchased is of your choice and is at the best price. Is it the right time to buy or wait. Make sure you check return policies. Since you're buying the item unseen physically, and it has to be transported, there's always a chance things don't work out. Make sure you know how the vendor handles returns, if at all.
 Keep receipts. Any reputable vendor should email you a sales confirmation after your purchase. Don't delete these emails until the item has arrived and you know you are absolutely satisfied with it. While the vendor should have any sales data on their end, this is information you want to be armed with should you need to call customer service or return a purchase. more