Keep Your Purchases Safe on Cyber Monday
Austin, TX – November 24, 2009 - The Monday following Thanksgiving, or Cyber Monday, is thought of as the beginning of the online holiday shopping season. Last year, consumers spent $846 million online during Cyber Monday according to a report by the Online Publishers Association. A 15 percent increase from 2007.
“Many consumers prefer the convenience of shopping online over fighting crowds at retail stores,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. “The drawback to online shopping is that you cannot physically see the item you are buying or, more importantly, the person you are buying it from.”
BBB offers the following tips for safe holiday shopping online:
1. Protect your computer – Make sure to install the most recent updates for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a secure firewall.
2. Use trustworthy Web sites –Start with BBB to check the seller’s reputation and record for customer satisfaction. Always look for the BBBOnLine seal and click to confirm that it’s valid.
3. Protect your personal information – BBB recommends taking the time to read the Web site’s privacy policy and understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used. If there isn’t one posted, it may be a red flag that personal information could be sold to others without permission.
4. Trust your gut – Offers on Web sites and in unsolicited e-mails can often sound too good to be true. Consumers should always go with their instincts and not be afraid to pass up a “deal” that might cost them more in the end.
5. Beware of phishing – Legitimate businesses do not send e-mails claiming problems with an order or an account to lure a buyer into revealing financial information. If a consumer receives such an e-mail, BBB recommends calling the contact number on the Web site where the purchase was made to confirm that there really is a problem with the transaction.
6. Confirm your online purchase is secure – Shoppers should always look in the address box for the “s” in “https://” and in the lower-right corner for the “lock” symbol before paying. If there are any doubts about a site, BBB recommends right-clicking anywhere on the page and selecting “Properties.” This will let you see the real URL (Web site address) and the dialog box will reveal if the site is not encrypted.
7. Pay with a credit card – Under federal law, a consumer can dispute a charge if he or she doesn’t receive the item. Consumers also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on their credit card and many card issuers have “zero liability” policies under which the card holder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it.
8. Keep documentation of your order - After completing the online order process, there may be a final confirmation page or the shopper may receive confirmation by e-mail. BBB recommends saving a copy of the Web page and any e-mails for future reference as a record of the purchase.
9. Check your credit card statements often – Don’t wait for paper statements. BBB recommends consumers check credit card statements for suspicious activity by either calling credit card companies or by checking statements online regularly.
10. Know your rights – Federal law requires that orders made by mail, phone or online be shipped by the date promised. If no delivery time was stated, the order must be received within 30 days. If the goods aren’t shipped on time, you can cancel and demand a refund. There is no general three-day cancellation right, but you do have the right to reject merchandise if it is defective or was misrepresented. Otherwise, it is the company’s policies that determine if you can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.
To check the reliability of a company, visit www.bbb.org.