online shopping is safe

Posted on November 20, 2009

The UK's Internet shopping market is worth more than £21.4 billion, with more than 20 million people buying online in the last year, according the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

It isn’t surprising that, with the kind of money at stake, online fraud has grown exponentially. But, online fraud isn’t the only risk facing those who do online shopping. There are also company insolvencies and unethical business practices to negotiate.
Secure Internet Shopping

Prior to entering credit card details at checkout, make sure that the web site the buy is being made at is secure. A secure web site is denoted by the following:

* A padlock should be showed on the bottom of the browser frame;
* The http:\\ prefix should change to https:\\. The additional ’s’ denotes that the web site is secure.

Use Firewall Protection when Buying Online

Utilising firewall protection is vital in terms of preventing hackers from accessing credit and debit card details. If a victim of online fraud, it is possible to contact the bank that issued the card and commence a credit card chargeback to recover any money lost.
Internet Shopping and S 75 of the Consumer Protection Act 1974

The Consumer Protection Act 1974 affords a credit card customer protection on any buy made that is between £100 and £30,000. If the company the buy has been made from has gone out of business, it is possible to claim the money back from the credit card provider.

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