"The past few years have really seen an explosion in the amount of people who go on the Internet to buy Holiday gifts," said Carter. "While the convenience and wide variety of merchandise that the Internet offers is appealing to many, it's crucial that shoppers are able to pick out the red flags that can tip them off to a potential scam."
While shopping online can be just as safe as shopping in a traditional store or by mail, Internet purchases have been the top consumer complaint category in the attorney general's office for the past three years.
Carter offers the following tips:
- Research vendors and personal sellers before making any online purchases. Confirm an online seller's physical address and phone number in case you need to get in touch with them. If you get an e-mail or pop-up message from the seller while you are browsing that asks for financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies do not ask for this information via e-mail or pop-ups.
- Know what you are getting. Read the seller's description of the product closely, especially the fine print. Words like "refurbished," "vintage," or "close-out" may indicate that the product is in less-than-mint condition. Name-brand items with "too good to be true" prices could be counterfeits.
- Calculate the costs. Check out Web sites that offer price comparisons and then compare "apples to apples." Factor shipping and handling into the total cost of the order and evaluate this final, complete cost against your budget and needs.
- Carefully choose payment methods. Be certain the Web site is secure. Be suspicious if the seller states you can only pay by a money transfer service as it is difficult to track someone down without a paper trail. Do not send cash under any circumstances. Consider using an online payment service, such as PayPal, or your credit card, which protects your transaction under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Regardless of your payment method, always insist upon a receipt for your purchase.
- Maintain a paper trail. Print and save records of your online transactions, including the product description and price, the online receipt, and copies of any e-mail you exchange with the seller. Read your credit card statements as you receive them to be on the lookout for unauthorized charges.
- Check a company's privacy policy before doing business with it. A company should allow you to know what personal information its Web site operators are collecting, why and how it will be used. If you can't find a privacy policy consider taking your business to another site that is more security-conscious and accommodating to customers.
