Shawn Lees-Carr
July 3, 2009
EDUC 521
Online Shopping Elective
Safety
Tips for Successful Shopping
1. If it sounds too good to be true . . . it probably is. Read
all you can.
2. Check out the reviews, the seller rating, professional
unbiased testing reports, etc. Look for BBB icons and other “badges” of trustworthiness
and reliability.
3. Check for secure sites that protect your financial
information.
A. Look for the icons of a closed lock or unbroken key. This
means the site protects your information.
B. Examine the web address on the page where you record your
credit card information. It should start with https:,
not http: .
C. The site may use a pop-up box or contain the words Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL).
4. The Federal Trade Commission has an interesting policy: The
Three Day Cooling Off rule. If you buy something over $25 online, you may be
able to cancel and get a refund. Check out the FTC webpage at Safe Shopping.
5. Keep records and deligently check
your accounts to ensure no one is siphoning off all the many millions of
dollars you have! J
|
METHOD |
DESCRIPTION |
SUGGESTED
SITES |
|
Browsing |
Commercial shopping sites
that allow buyers to spend hours and hours clicking from one item to another
within certain categories. |
|
|
Comparison Shopping |
Allows shoppers to compare
prices and other variables of certain selected products. Will search the internet
for the products and stores, providing pricing, ratings, shipping costs, etc. |
|
|
Wish Lists |
Allows shoppers to tag
products they want, but are not buying at the current time. Can set up birthday
and holiday lists for others to see and then use to purchase gifts. A good
way to keep track of items of interest. |
|
|
Auctions |
Allows buyers to make bids
to buy an item, and the person who pays the most gets the item. Some sites
offer a “buy it now” option for those who lack the bidding spirit. Can be
exciting, addicting and confusing. |
|
|
Gift Certificates |
Sites dedicated to providing
gift certificates to a variety of merchants and services. A repository of
gift certificates to buy and give. Great when in a gift-pinch! |
|
|
Free stuff Community sales |
Allows shoppers to trade
and give away unwanted items in their community. Users are able to post and
exchange items, job information, services, housing information, etc. in a
more community-oriented environment. |
|
|
Research and Comparison
shopping on one site |
Includes prices and details
about products while also providing articles that contain information and research
on the product. |
|