Shopping on the net has become what would seem to be a national past-time, which is tremendous for the consumer – it’s never been easier to go shopping. Also, the increase in competition unified with the cost-effectiveness with selling online has cheap prices for items.
Even so, as the shopping market has thrived, so too has the need to be conscious of your consumer rights, and what to do if you find yourself with faulty goods or items that you paid for but didn’t actually get. Information is available on the internet, like the consumer protection act 1987.
Another consideration is which payment provider to use to buy your items, as each payment gateway has its own terms. To take an example, Paypal are an independent arbiter only for physical goods, not digital downloads. Doing your research can stop you getting ripped off by internet scams.
Our word to the wise is to do your homework about the vendor : do they publish their postal address and phone number? What is the seller’s privacy policy? Their returns policy? Their terms? All these doubts need to be addressed before you consider making a purchase from the vendor.
Another very issue to consider: how is payment taken? In 2009, it’s inadequate to merely look for “the padlock” (SSL certificate) – this won’t tell you how they keep your data, only how it’s transferred when you make the order. If you have doubts, only buy from sellers who use 3rd party payment providers such as PayPal, Google Checkout, WorldPay, SagePay and NoChex.You can also verify the reputation the vendor has with his payment gateway, e.g. check his PayPal account and how many transactions have taken place on this individual account.
