Shop Safe

Ask your self the following questions before shopping with any store online. Do you trust the merchant? Does the merchants website have a secure server, or secure server provider like Pay Pal? 
Are you able to contact the merchant if the order goes wrong? 
Is there a full money back return policy? Watch out for hidden charges, if you need to sign an online contract, [unusually but can happen] read the contract in full, no matter how long & keep a copy for your records! Be clear about the merchants delivery time on there sales? 
Will you receive your product in days or weeks! If you are purchasing for a loved one, and for a special occasion, you do not want to receive your goods weeks after the event. 


Shopping Carts & Secure Servers.
Secure servers provided encryption sessions between your computer and a merchant's website which keeps your data safe when you pay online. Most business websites tend to use a shopping cart format, where-by you can shop & purchase multiple items on a secure server. The 'lock' which can be visually seen in the bottom of your browser when transactions are taken place, is an indication of a secure server. 


When you access a secure sever the address of the web site will change from 'http://www.joesbooks.com' to 'https://www...' informing you that a secure connection has been created. These are unique encryption sessions between you and the merchant. 



Fraud Protection.
Credit card or bank debit cards provided online insurance on your purchases & protect you against credit card fraud. If you are unsure if your card offers you online fraud protection then contact your card provider. Always print a receipt of your purchase. If you have a online account with a merchant then be sure to log out of the session when you have finished purchasing your goods. 


Phishing.
Do not reply to phishing e-mails, which are designed to look as though they have come from your bank, service provider, or a social networking site. You will be asked to confirm your details such as account numbers and passwords, no reputable organisation will ever ask you to send this type of information. Never responed to a phishing e-mail or visit any website links. As with all rubbish, delete it.

E-mails  Unknown.
If you receive mail from people or unknown organisations then delete them all, inform if you can, your email provider that they are spam. Do not open attachments – they are likely to carry viruses. Anti-viral software should alert you to any virus-carrying messages. Do not reply to such messages, because that alerts spammers that the e-mail address is valid & you will end up receiving countless unwanted messages.


Social Networking Sites.
The more information about yourself you make public on sites such as Facebook, MySpace, the easier it is for a fraudster to steal your identity. Be smart and protect your identity. People you know really well only need to know your personal details. If a social networking site has privacy settings, use them. Please, remember to choose your group members carefully. Be sure of the individual you are inviting into your group.

Enjoy & stay safe online.