When it comes to shopping on the internet there a range of factors you have to consider before purchasing the product. Keep in mind that you’re buying the product without actually physically visiting a store. When you physically visit the store to make your purchase you evaluate the product according to criteria. This criterion may involve product quality, utility and of course the price you pay in relation to these very important factors. After all you buy a product to perform a certain task (which is the basic utility of the product) and you pay its price more or less in relation to the quality of the product. In other words, how efficiently that product can perform the task on hand. When doing your shopping online it’s important that you follow these same guidelines.

Remember through the internet you can virtually do your shopping the world over. You can just about order anything from anywhere irrespective of your location. You also have the great advantage of doing your shopping anytime you want and at the comfort of your own home. No hassle of travelling to various stores or rushing through your list and thinking about what you have to cook for your next meal or that all-important presentation at office the next day. However, as when doing your shopping in the traditional physical store it’s important that you follow the basic guidelines of shopping. Perhaps more so since you don’t actually physically visit the store and have to rely on your own good judgement. As such we are here to help you with safe shopping on the internet.

Terms: - Always make sure about the terms of the transaction. Legal terms and any disclaimers governing the transaction. You may think these maybe lengthy and want to get over and done with your transaction. But it is important that you know the terms of the transaction you’re about to perform.

Use a Secure Web Browser: - Online vendors "encrypt" purchase information which means only the vendor and yourself can read it. Always order from online stores that offer secured transactions. These are the "trustworthy" sites. They keep your information secure and doesn’t re- distribute your information to any external parties. Always avoid other site which doesn’t take you to a page which will perform" a secured transaction". If you have doubts about a site, right-click anywhere on the page and select "Properties." This will let you see the real URL (Web site address) and the dialog box will reveal if the site is "not encrypted."

Records: - A confirmation email will be sent to you that confirm your order. Print these out and keep them safely for your own records and convenience.

Check your credit card and bank statements: - make sure to check these for your own safety. If there are any unauthorised payments contact your Credit Card Company or relevant bank and inform them immediately.

Check the online store's policies: - this will provide disclosures about the store’s refund and return policies, and about the web site’s security itself and how it uses your personal information. Make sure to take a few minutes to read them. Read the site's privacy policy to understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used. If there isn't one posted, consider that a warning that your personal information may be sold to others without your permission.

Comparing Prices

You can compare prices too when shopping online as when you do "conventional shopping". You can do this by visiting web sites like:

Price Runner

PriceGrabber.com

Shopzilla

Smarter.com

Do you trust the merchant? You can check the merchant’s reputation from whom you’re hoping to make your purchase by looking at their feedback by conducting web searches. You can check with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) for a report about the merchant’s marketplace record.

And finally trust you instincts or your "gut" feelings about the web site or transaction you’re about to perform. If you feel it’s too good to be true it probably is. Better be safe than sorry afterwards.

Happy shopping!