Guide to buying on line with confidence

Some people feel concerned about shopping over the Internet, what with giving their creditcard number and dealing possibly with an unknown company. However with a few common sense rules, ordering things over the Internet should be no more worrying than going down your local High Street, after all, millions of people use the Internet to buy things every day. Often 'shops' on the Internet have lower overheads and can offer better prices (and availability) than ordinary shops.

The basic guide lines are:
Make sure that your browser is set to the highest security setting when shopping.

For Internet Explorer this is found at:

Tools>Internet Options>Security

For other browsers check 'security' under the help menu.

Check the version of browser you are using, is it the latest ? Update if necessary to the latest version, often a change in version will include improved security features.

When looking to buy from a particular web site:

• Do I know this retailer ? Is it a High Street name ? - a name not known to you is probably just as honest as a shop in the high street, but knowing the name does increase your confidence.
• Check the web site for contact details, by law, all web sites in the EU must display contact details including address and telephone number. Print off a copy of these details before you buy. If you have any queries, use the contact details to ask the company; often a phone call can give you an idea of whether you are potentially dealing with a big organisation or someone trading out of their garage.
• Check any conditions for buying on the website carefully:
  • Are there any hidden charges (VAT, minimum order value, carriage charges etc.)?
  • Is there a returns policy?

Look out for Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG)

Look out for websites which are members of the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG). You should be able to be confident when dealing with IMRG Members because they have all committed to operate using methods that are Honest, Decent, Legal, Truthful and Fair. Hopefully any IMRG members that don't behave, will have their membership withdrawn. Check out the IMRG website where UK members are listed.

Deciding on a product

Make sure the product is what you want - it sounds obvious but a lot of websites give very little descriptions of products, often just a model number. If you enter the model number into a search engine, you might find full details (or even a review) of it. Watch for slight differences in model numbers, the differences between the different models may be small or quite significant.

Paying for things you buy over the Internet.

Most on-line stores accept creditcards, but if you are nervous of giving your details on-line, most will accept cheques etc. through surface mail.

To limit your exposure to possible fraud, ask your creditcard company for a separate card with a low limit (say, £250) and use it just for buying on-line. The limit you choose should be just high enough to allow for your monthly on-line spend, this will start the warning bells ringing if someone does misuse it.

When ordering on-line make sure that the browser is in secure mode (check that the small padlock is displayed at the bottom right of the browser window.

Never, never give your password or Personal Identification Number (PIN) to the website.

Never, never send your credit card number, password or Personal Identifier Number (PIN) in an e-mail even if the website appear to have sent you an e-mail asking for them or even telephone you.

Once you've placed your order, print out a copy of it.

Check you creditcard statement carefully to make sure there are no errors. Raise any errors with the retailer concerned in the first instance. If a statement shows any transaction that you are certain you did not make, contact your card issuer immediately (there will be a contact phone number on your statement).

Follow these simple rules and you can buy on-line with complete confidence.