Guide to Buying Safely Online

As the World Wide Web grows in size and popularity, more people are buying goods and services online, allowing them to shop for a wider range of products without leaving the house. However, with more money changing hands online, internet trading has become more appealing to criminals wishing to take advantage of the unwary.

With this in mind, we have put together this guide to buying products safely online.

How to Buy Safely Online - Understand the Risks

There are a number of risks involved in ordering goods from websites. These could be a result of poor service or criminal activity, and include:

Delays in the delivery of your goods or no delivery at all.
Poor after-sales service.
Misuse of credit or debit card details.
Delivery of goods that don't match the product description.

The consequences of these problems can range from minor inconvenience to major credit card fraud. Therefore it's wise to make certain checks and enquiries when choosing a site to purchase goods from.

Finding a Reputable Retailer for Online Shopping Safety

When you're shopping online, make sure that the site that you're intending to use trades in an honest and transparent manner.

A good online retailer:

Charges a fair price for products and services.
Has a clear delivery policy.
Provides information on packaging.
Confirms your order promptly and in writing.
Delivers within the timescales outlined in its delivery policy.
Respects your privacy and has a good privacy policy.
Has a secure website and protects all customer data.
Provides an appropriate returns policy.

When looking for a reputable retailer, check its website and look for personal recommendations. If the business has a reputation for the following practices, it should be avoided:

Providing bad customer service.
Failing to deliver the correct product or failing to deliver goods on time.
Not having a clear set of Terms and Conditions.
Abusing customer privacy.
Misrepresenting itself, its products or its services.

Use Secure Websites to Buy Safely Online

If you're going to make a financial transaction online or submit your personal details to an online retailer, it's vitally important that you do so through a secure website. This means that you'll be able to transfer sensitive data without outsiders being able to eavesdrop and misuse your details.

Most businesses will use the SSL protocol to prove their identities and you can check this by looking for the prefix 'https' in the front of the web address (this stands for 'Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure'). A padlock should be visible on the status bar, signifying that the owners have been issued with a digital certificate by a trusted third party, such as Verisign, who has checked the company for authenticity.

The certificate generates a one-off encryption code that ensures that all communication between you and the certificate owner is secure from eavesdroppers for as long as the padlock is present. If you double-click on the padlock, the certificate will be displayed, and the browser will warn you if it is not recognised. Recognised certificate authorities include Verisign, Thawte, Equifax and GeoTrust.

However, be aware that a digital certificate doesn't give any guarantee about the company's business ethics, policies or IT security.

How to Ensure You Are Shopping Online Safely

If you are going to buy goods from an online shop, bear the following points in mind before making a purchase:

Is the online store's website secure? Look for the padlock and examine the certificate for details about the protection that the website has in place.
Shop around. Compare prices between different online retailers to find the best deals and prices. You can find out more about how to so this on our How to Compare Prices Online page.
Look for a trading address. There should be evidence of a physical business address (not just a PO Box number) on the website.
Beware of expensive 'extras'. Watch out for high postage costs and hidden charges such as VAT and duties on foreign imports.
Pay by credit card. Credit card purchases give you more protection if the deal goes wrong.
Read the small print. Take note of the website's Terms and Conditions.
Be wary of imports. Buying from overseas can be tricky; delivery times may be relatively long and import duties are often expensive. Goods and services ordered from the UK and the EU are covered by Distance Selling Regulations, giving you a cooling off period and protection against credit card fraud.
Returns. Check the site's returns policy to see where you stand and who pays for return postage. You are usually entitled to a cancellation period of seven working days if you are not satisfied with the product
Get personal recommendations. If you haven't bought anything from the company before, it's best to find out what other people think of the site and its trading practices.
Save documentation. Print out your order invoice and the site's Terms and Conditions for reference.