How To Safely Shop Online
Shopping online is commonplace nowadays, many of us choose to purchase online rather than go into stores. While I enjoy a good shopping trip I do the majority of my spending online, mainly because there’s more choice online (especially when it comes to sizes), and I can do it anytime anywhere. But with the rise of cyber criminals and online fraud, you’re probably wondering how to safely shop online.
It’s important that we all take various measures to protect ourselves when shopping online because your bank won’t always have you protected.
How to safely shop online
Make sure the website is safe and secure
This may sound like an obvious one but do your research before you purchase from anywhere you’ve never shopped at before. There are so many random websites and countless Instagram ad’s that it can be hard to know what’s genuine and what isn’t.
Websites should have a padlock on the bar next to the URL to make sure it’s secure, and the URL should begin with https:// as opposed to http://
You should also check the basic contact details of the online store such as a phone number, email or physical address.
This also counts for your own security, make sure your software and virus protection is up to date.
Safely shop online by checking reviews
Another thing you should always do with new websites or ones you’ve not heard of it as check out their reviews. Google the website name and reviews and see what comes up.
There have been quite a few times when I’ve searched somewhere and seen negative reviews about products not turning up, no one ever responding to customer service emails or people not getting refunds when they’ve returned an item. All of these things are red flags and should help you avoid a bad scenario yourself.
Always pay by credit card
Paying with a credit card gives you an extra layer of protection if your purchase is over £100. This is thanks to S75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 which holds the credit card provider jointly liable in the event something goes wrong.
If something goes wrong you can raise a chargeback within 120 days as a disputed transaction if needed. You can do this to debit cards but it’s a voluntary scheme that banks can subscribe to.
If your card details are hacked somehow, at least they won’t have access to your actual money.
How to safely shop online- look into a virtual card
A virtual card is a digital-only card that lives in your phone wallet and while it’s connected to your bank account it uses unique card details. This means your real card details are safe from potential fraudsters giving you an extra layer of security.
I have access to a virtual card through my Monzo Plus account and it means if I do spend anywhere I am not 100% sure about I can use this method.
Never pay via bank transfer
You may not come across this often but some sellers may say that they only accept bank transfers. This is especially common for suppliers or companies providing a service. The problem with a bank transfer is that it isn’t protected in the same way and it’s unlikely you’ll get your money back if something goes wrong.
This is a lesson we have learnt after losing £3,000 that we’d paid for some garden gates. We paid for the gates so the company could order them after their owner came to us to measure up. And then a combination of weeks and months with no communication and broken promises. About a year later he dissolved his company and walked away with our money and hundreds of other people from the looks of more recent online reviews. Our bank wouldn’t do anything as we had happily transferred the money and it went to the right person. We’ve even paid to take it to small claims and he’s just ignored the letters and there’s nothing more that can be done so we’ve lost out by paying via bank transfer.
How to safely shop online- know your rights
Before you make a purchase see what the company’s return policy is like if you change your mind or don’t like the product when it comes. With the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you have a 14-day cooling-off period to return items, but some companies won’t make it easy.
If you’re buying through private sellers on online marketplaces like Vinted, eBay, Facebook Marketplace etc, the seller doesn’t have to accept returns.
Other ways to protect yourself
- Do not use public wifi to make a purchase, always use a secure internet connection
- Use strong passwords for accounts and change them up regularly
- If there’s an issue with the delivery don’t accept it when retailers tell you that you need to speak to the courier. Your contract is with the retailer so it’s their problem to resolve, not yours.
What do you think about these tips for how to safely shop online?
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32 responses to “How To Safely Shop Online”
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Rhian Westbury
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As someone who enjoys the convenience of online shopping, it’s great to have some tips and tricks to ensure a secure experience.
I don’t remember the last time I did proper in person shopping anymore x
Love all your tips to safely shop online! So hard these days!
Online shopping is convenient, easy and we can find the best prices but it can be unsafe sometimes. Thank you for these tips.
You’ll want to be sure that products arrive on time, that quality is what you expected, that items include a proper warranty. These are the things I look out for when I shop online.
100% agree about quality, that’s one of the only issues about going online as you can’t see the product x
I find that a large number of facebook ads for products are just fake. I have purchased so many fake items and fake tickets to events that never happened – it’s such a pain. Thank you for these tips.
I shop online a lot and almost got sucked in to buying some boots, luckily I did my research first as it was not a reputable website.
Beautiful, powerful and very doable steps towards securing of the online shopping. I use them all. Great reminder and knowledge base are the must-haves! Thank you for an amazing post.
This is such great advice. I need to be a lot more careful. I ordered a dish rack from China, and it never arrived. And now I can’t remember what the company was called.
If you bought via PayPal then you can easily claim within I think it is 90 days, I always try to use PP for that reason x
Such great tips that we need to remember when shopping online.
This is all great info. I love shopping online, but I’m very careful when it comes to using my card online.
Great post! I do shop online but before I do I make sure to research every site and I use my papal mostly not my credit card.
PayPal is a good shout for online services, I do feel safer when I use it x
I should probably be a little more careful shopping online. It is awful to get scammed or information stolen.
It is scary how easy it can be x
These are great tips. Especially now, it is so important to be safe shopping online. Thank you for the reminders.
I try and shop with my credit card, paypal, or Apple Pay whenever possible so they don’t have direct access to my bank info.
Always a good approach to take x
definitely need to keep these tips in mind when shopping online.. i need to look more at the virtual card options
Great tips! We never pay via bank transfer. We always pay with a credit card.
I learnt that the hard way x
These tips are so useful! I should start checking these sites more often as I shop online everything.
With all the scare stories I’ve been hearing recently it is important to be cautious. I hadn’t heard about not paying by bank transfer before, that is concerning. This is really helpful to be aware of. I’ll need ot look into getting a virtual card.
It can be a tough lesson to learn if you fall foul to it x
Love these tips and especially shopping via credit card it is truly the safest way to pay online. I love shopping online and definitely appreciate these safety tips!
Your tips are practical and easy to follow, providing valuable guidance to readers. The clear explanations and suggestions will surely help people navigate the online shopping world with confidence.
This is a really great and very informative post! I’m surely gonna keep these helpful tips in mind
These are Some really great tips to stay safe while online shopping ! Especially when there are scams going on in ways we don’t even know . Great post !
There are so many scams it’s a bit scary x
I am glad to hear about it! I really appreciate the tips you’ve shared and I found that so helpful!