5 ways to check the legitimacy of an online shop

Read this article to find out how you can avoid getting ripped off at an online store!

Photo Credit: Nathan Maxfield

The Internet is a vast resource for online shoppers. You can literally purchase anything you could possibly want twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year.

This makes the Internet a convenient way for customers to shop in the comfort of their home.

Most customers pay for their online purchases by using a credit card, a debit card, or by using Paypal, or one of the other many payment processing systems available. Some stores allow you to pay for your purchases with a check by phone or FAX. While still, others allow you to send a check to them via the United States Postal Service (USPS).

If you've dealt with an online store for some time, and had no problems, you probably feel comfortable shopping with them. But, if you find an item on the Internet at a retailer that you have never dealt with, how can you be sure that the shop is legitimate? And, how can you be assured that your payment transaction, if done online, will be secure?

Even though the Internet offers customers like yourself a convenient way to make purchases, it unfortunately is a place that's filled with rip offs and fly by night scam artists. So, in order to protect yourself, you should use these five ways to check the legitimacy of an online shop BEFORE you deal with them:

1. Only Shop Online at Secure Web Sites

While having a secure site doesn't guarantee you that the store is legitimate, it's sure a sign that it is.

Fly by night retailers or unscrupulous ones will normally put together a web site as quickly as they can. Because time, instead of customer service, is the important factor, they won't concern themselves with making sure their site is secure.

All reputable web sites use some type of encryption program. This program codes your personal information, such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, et cetera, so it can't be stolen.

To find out if the web site is secure, simply look at the URL at the top of your browser screen. If the site's address starts out with "https" instead of just "http", then it's secure. Sometimes, the address will only change to "https" when you check out.

You can also check the bottom of your browser to see if you find a picture that resembles a locked

padlock. If you see that, then that tells you the site is secure too.

2. Locate the Online Company's Privacy Policy

This information should be found on the main page of a web site. Sometimes, the link to reach it can be found on the bottom of the page.

Legitimate stores have privacy policies that detail how they will use the personal information you give them.

3. Locate the Store's Contact Information

Check to make sure that the retailer's web site lists a company name, a physical address, and a phone number. Then, check the name and address at anywho.com or any other directory, and with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) as well.

If the company is not listed in a public phone directory, or, if the Better Business Bureau has no knowledge of their existence, then you better think twice about dealing with them. Keep in mind that a legitimate retailer will have their information right on their main page in plain sight.

4. Dig a Little Deeper to Check the Owner

Scam artists are notorious for having more than one fraudulent web site up at a time. Sometimes, the BBB won't have a listing or a record of complaints for a certain company. But, they will have information about another company name or the name of the owner.

To find out who owns any store web site, simply visit networksolutions.com or perform a "who is" search on your favorite search engine. You'll often find out a name, or a company name, an email address as well as a physical address and a phone number for the owner.

Then, look up that information on the BBB web site to see if he or she has any complaints against them.

5. Look for Membership Seals

Because there are a vast number of rip offs and scams on the Internet, with the number growing everyday, there is also need for organizations like iCop, Trust-e, VIPPS, BBB Online, and Verisign. Retailers who are members of these organizations have to prove that their businesses are legitimate. They also have to maintain a certain level of security and follow honor codes.

Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Back Issues | HappyNews.com