Especially when hunting for obscure items or odd sizes, shoppers can find
more variety online than they can find in local stores. Unfortunately, the
quality of the merchants they encounter online also varies widely. Some may
be nationally-advertised retailers with a local presence; others may be
fly-by-night scammers.
Unfamiliar websites may even be contagious with malicious software. Just
in case, before browsing to unfamiliar websites, shoppers should be sure
that their antivirus and firewall software, such as Comodo Internet
Security, are up-to-date.
The purchase decision is easy if the item is for sale by a business the
shopper already knows and trusts. On the other hand, an unknown and
untrusted seller may have a one-of-a-kind item. How can a shopper decide
whether to trust the seller and proceed with the sale?
Is the Seller Trustworthy? What Does the Public Say?
Singular items are often sold on auction sites, which offer their own
rating systems. Does the seller have a good rating at that site?
If the seller has his or her own website, visual symbols on the site may
offer clues: a Better Business Bureau BBBonline symbol, for example, or an
online ratings system such as UserTrust.
To check for online complaints against the merchant, open up a search
engine. Type the domain name of the merchant plus the word "scam." For
example, if the hypothetical merchant's website is known as
www.size20pants.com, Google "size20pants.com scam." Do this again, but
replace the word "scam" with "fraud." Are there many recent reports? Ideally
there would be none, but even a stellar merchant or a patient customer may
have a bad day.
Good indicators, or the lack of bad ones, can help shoppers decide
whether or not to trust an online merchant with their money and their
personal information.
Share Personal Information Prudently
Even if the item is a tremendous bargain, or not available anywhere else,
online shoppers must still be cautious. If the merchant is dishonest, the
shopper can lose more than the purchase price. The "merchant" may be an
identity thief, or may intend to charge extra purchases to the customer's
credit or debit card. Shoppers should try to entrust as little of their
confidential information as possible to the site, just in case.
Many online purchases are abandoned when the shopper learns about
additional charges. Before shoppers decide to purchase and enter personal
information on the website, they should look for shipping and handling
charges. That way they can make their final decision on the purchase before
committing personal information to the site.
When dealing with an unknown website, a smart move is to choose not to
share financial information directly with the site, but to use an online
payment site such as PayPal. Wire transfers are not recommended; even
Western Union's web site cautions against wiring money to strangers.
How Does the Merchant Protect Personal Information?
Once the shopper decides to buy, he or she enters a screen that asks for
the shopper's name or customer number. As soon as that screen opens up,
savvy shoppers look in the upper left hand of their browser. Ordinarily the
left hand side of the browser address bar says "HTTP." However, at this
point it should change. If the business is collecting private information
and it accepts credit cards (even if the customer intends to pay via a
payment site) the website must change its communications to encrypted or
offer a comparable substitute.
Encrypted communications are scrambled so that no one but the shopper and
the website can understand them. To show that the communication is
encrypted, the browser address bar displays "HTTPS" (for Hyper Text Transfer
Protocol Secure). If the browser address bar still says HTTP, shoppers
should ask merchants how their information is being protected. Since
encryption is the standard protection, shoppers should remain skeptical of
any answer they do not understand.
The Sale's Not Over Till the Paperwork's Done
After the heady excitement of the purchase itself comes the less
glamorous and equally important aspect of record-keeping. If the item
arrives damaged, or does not arrive at all, shoppers will find it difficult
to protest unless they kept thorough notes, whether printouts or screen
shots, when they contact the merchant. Reputable and trustworthy merchants
will work with customers to complete the sale satisfactorily.
Eternal vigilance is the price of great online shopping. Shoppers who
scrutinize their online merchants with a keen eye beforehand, and who share
their personal information only cautiously can find bargains and save time
on the Internet.
About Comodo
Comodo is a leading brand in Internet security, covering an extensive
range of security software and services, including digital certificates, PCI
scanning, desktop security, online faxing, and computer technical support
services.
Businesses and consumers worldwide recognize Comodo as standing for
security and trust. Comodo products secure and authenticate online
transactions for over 200,000 businesses and have more than 18,000,000
installations of Comodo desktop security software, including an
award-winning firewall and antivirus software offered at no charge.
The Comodo family of companies is committed to continual innovation, core
competencies in PKI, authentication, and malware detection and prevention.
As a catalyst in eliminating online crime, the companies' mission is to
establish a Trusted Internet.
With US headquarters overlooking Manhattan on New Jersey's waterfront,
and global resources in United Kingdom, China, India, Ukraine, and Romania,
Comodo products offer intelligent security, authentication, and assurance.
Comodo -- Creating Trust Online®. For more information, visit Comodo's
website.
www.comodo.com
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Katharine Hadow
COMODO Media Relations
