Online Shopping Issues

Online Shopping is there to stay and there are many people out there transacting billions on dollars online and most of them are happy. With the boom comes the bane. There are also cheats out there. So, it is your duty to stay away from them. The best defence against this is to identify the unscrupulous websites and operators. Even if you fall in the trap, its not the end of the tunnel. There are laws that can help you deal with them. Read on to understand what you can do to avoid losses.

Online Shopping has a stigma attached to it. One of the most important concerns are credit card or payments safety. But there is more under the skin of shopping online. The Department of Consumer Affairs, Victoria has identified many of online security issues and educates consumers how to safely shop online.

They cover many areas including:

  •     Buying a Computer

  •     Domain Names

  •     Internet Service Providers

  •     Online security

  •     Online auctions

  •     Spam

  •     Shopping online

You should visit their website on the link provided and learn about online safety.

Here are ten tips for a safe, secure and reliable online shopping transactions:

  1. Check out the business
    Don’t shop with a business unless you're sure
    that it's real and you know who you're dealing with.

  2. Make sure you’re buying what you think you're buying
    Check product
    photos and descriptions and read thoroughly product description.

  3. Check the cost
    When you calculate the cost of a product, calculate
    price in Australian Dollars and take into account any shipping and
    international conversion charges.

  4. Read the small print
    Look for information like Terms & Conditions,
    Disclaimer, Legal Notices
    and read them thoroughly

  5. Protect your privacy
    Be as choosy online as you are offline about what
    you say about yourself to whom to protect your privacy.

  6. Confirm your order
    Before you proceed to the payment part of ordering,
    you should be offered the opportunity to review and confirm what you have
    selected. The transaction is real and you are charged or paying for that
    transaction. 

  7. Pay securely
    Before making an online payment, you should feel confident
    that the business has proper security procedures like secure information
    transmission

  8. Keep all records
    Keep copies of any paperwork like invoices or receipts
    and order numbers associated with your online purchase 

  9. Be aware that online consumers have rights just as offline consumers
    do
    If you have any issues with the company then demand politely from the
    company to resolve the issues amicably or you can contact the appropriate
    Consumer Affairs agency and your bank to fix the problem.

  10. If in doubt, stop
    If you are doubtful then you can stop a transaction
    at any point up until you press the Pay or Confirm button. You can check the
    authenticity of the business and proceed again.


Hope these tips help you to have a smooth and safe online experience and save you from the hassles of frauds and cheating.

Safe online shopping - Consumer Affairs Victoria

Resource for safe online shopping

Online Shopping

Online shopping

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