Shopping online offers lots of benefits you won’t find shopping in traditional stores. The worldwide stores of the Internet never close. – any time, 365-days a year. Taking advantage of their low overhead, Internet vendors often offer highly discounted prices. Savings can be substantial. In addition, Internet stores now offer more safe and flexible payment methods than ever before.
One of the coolest capabilities enabled by the Internet is that when you’re using it, you’re not bound by geographical location. This is especially handy when you’re shopping. Before the Internet, you were pretty much stuck with the selection and prices in the stores around your home. Now, you can shop anywhere, any time, and you can be competitive about it.
Of course, there are some risks that come with shopping online, too. Although identity theft is more common in the real world, it still happens online pretty frequently, as does credit card fraud. So staying safe while you’re shopping online is paramount. Here are some tips for shopping safely online:
Please be sure to use common sense when purchasing anything from online
- 1)If buying adult items AVOID PAYPAL.
Paypal is NOT a bank and is NOT governed by any banking laws. Therefore when you clicked “I accept the user agreement” You unknowingly agreed to many unfair rules regarding the use of paypal. Paypal Acceptable User agreement state
“Violating PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy may result in temporary or permanent limitation of a customer’s account. This includes the inability to send and/or receive payments, to remove financial information from an account, and for users to close their accounts as a way of evading the policy. Additionally, users whose accounts are permanently limited for violating the Acceptable Use Policy are barred from future use of PayPal and its services, and such users are not permitted to open new or additional PayPal accounts.”
If you buy online videos then you are in violation of Paypals Acceptable User Policy “PayPal will process payments for the purchase and sale of certain sexually oriented physical goods but currently does not allow transactions for sexually oriented digital goods.” If you do your homework and research before buying and it is a reputable company/website then they will gladly offer you numerous ways to pay securely. And remember if buying an ADULT item on ebay the sellers CANNOT take paypal, so don’t yell at the sellers, yell at ebay.
Important: PayPal may not be used to pay for any item listed in eBay’s Mature Audiences category.
- 2) Do Your own research –
Be sure to do your own research of a site BEFORE buying. Read their message boards or customer comments, if buying from an auction site then read their feedback.
- 3) Search for Reviews of a site –
There are other websites out there that will review a site. Check them out. If you read bad reviews then use common sense and don’t buy. Look for a feedback section on the site and look for comments about the seller based on previous transactions. Look for a “trust mark” from a reputable organization, like BBBOnLine, to make sure the online retailer is reliable and has a proven track record of satisfying customers. If in doubt, conduct Web searches about the site in order to determine its legitimacy and check for a Better Business Bureau (BBB) report at www.bbb.org. From the Business Software Alliance and the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
- 4) Check their payment options –
Be sure you know what your are signing up for BEFORE you join. Different pay sites have different payment options from a one time fee, to a recurring monthly fee. ASK. Ask how it will show up on your credit card, be sure you are using a secure serve to pay. Ask! Any reputable seller will gladly answer your questions. Choose Credit Over Debit: You probably don’t often hear advice to use a credit card instead of a debit card or cash, but if you can do it responsibly, you absolutely should. Credit cards offer protection from identity theft that debit cards don’t. For example, with a credit card, your liability for fraudulent charges caps at $50 as long as you report the fraud within 30 or 60 days (depending on the company). However, if you’re using your debit card online and someone gains access to it, they can clean out your checking account before you even learn there’s a problem. It’s likely you’ll get part of that money back, but possible that it can take a while, and that you won’t get it all. So, use a credit card instead and pay the bill off monthly.
Disposable Is Better: Even better than using a credit card is to use a disposable credit card. Disposable credit cards work just like most gift cards. You add a specified dollar amount to the card, and it’s good until that is gone. Once it’s gone, you can add more, or purchase a new one. And both Visa and American Express now offer these cards in varying amounts, so they’re easy to get hold of. The bonus is that if the number from a disposable credit card is stolen, it’s anonymous, and criminals can’t gain access to anything more than the dollar amount that’s still available on the card.
Verify Website Security: The variety that’s available when shopping online can be dizzying, but it doesn’t stop at just the products and prices that are available online. There are also different levels of security that are available online, and you want to be aware of them. Some online web sites don’t offer secure shopping. That means that savvy criminals can capture everything that you enter onto a form on those sites, including your personal and credit information. If you’re going to shop online, limit yourself to secure sites. You can tell if a site is secure by the URL. A secure web site starts with HTTPS: instead of HTTP://. Secure sites will also have a small lock icon. Don’t Store Information Elsewhere: Many shopping sites, even the major ones, offer you the ability to save your credit card information on their servers to speed the shopping process. Think Amazon.com’s OneClick shopping. It’s definitely faster, but there are some risks to maintaining your personal information elsewhere. If a company that you’re shopping with has a data breach, your personal information could be put at risk. It takes a little longer, but instead of storing your information on some server that you have no control over, just enter it yourself each time you shop. Price and selection are two of the best benefits to shopping online. But don’t let the benefits lull you into complacency. Take the time to shop securely, and use caution with the sites that you choose to shop on. Then, not only can you find great deals, but you can do it without the worry that your identity will be stolen in the process. Don’t Shop Publicly: If you plan to do any shopping online, do it at home. At home, you can shop in your Pj’s (or naked) and you can do it any time of the day or night. You also know who accesses your computer at home. If you’re using a public computer—at the library, at a cyber café, or at work—to do your shopping, you have no control over who might be using that computer as well. You also don’t have any control over what kind of spyware or malware might be infecting that computer. So, just don’t do it. Shop at home. It’s much safer.
- 5) Check their Contact Information –
A good site will offer more then just an email for contact. So check their contact information, see if its easy to locate and accurate. Call them, email them. Use their customer service. For is it this vary same customer service you are going to have to use if there is a problem with your items/account. *
6) Read the Terms – Is their a guarantee if so what is it? Is it a recurring bill, every 30 days every 90 days. Are you locked into a 6 months contract? You approve the terms of the site so KNOW what the terms are.
- 7) Cancellation/Return Policies –
How much notice to cancel your subscription? How long does it take? How do you cancel? If buying goods, is their a return policy, a restocking fee, a time limit. Find and read the Web site’s privacy policies to understand what personal information is being requested as well as why and how it will be used. – Look for disclosures about the Web site’s security, refund and return policies, and statements about how the Web site will use your personal information. Look for links to “About” pages or “FAQ” pages. If a Web store says nothing about protecting your privacy, shop somewhere else. *
* 8) Joining/Buying – Be sure when using your credit card that the site is SECURE. Keep track of your credit card statement. Many adult sites and retail toy sites will use alternate names. Find out how its going to be billed and under what name.
- 9) If dissatisfied with an item/product/service contact the company FIRST –
Most companies would rather deal with you first and keep you happy as a customers. So contact the company first before filing a complaint with online Auctions or leaving negative feedback or doing a charge-back. Once done, it cannot be undone. So try talking to someone at the company and if you did your homework, then the company will gladly do what it takes to keep you happy.
- 10) Be polite –
Politeness will go a lot further then nasty emails or rude phone calls, you are dealing with people.
Research and Read Reviews
Before making any purchase, it’s crucial to do thorough research and read reviews about the website or platform you are considering. Look for reputable websites that have positive customer feedback and a good reputation in the industry. Reading reviews will give you insights into the quality of products, customer service, and overall shopping experience.
Check for Discreet Packaging and Billing
Privacy is of utmost importance when it comes to adult purchases. Make sure to check if the website offers discreet packaging and billing. Look for information on their website or contact their customer support to confirm that your purchase will be shipped and billed discreetly, without any explicit references to the products.
Read the Return and Refund Policy
Before making a purchase, carefully read the website’s return and refund policy. Ensure that they have a clear and fair policy in case you are not satisfied with your purchase. Look for information on how to return products, any associated costs, and the timeframe for refunds.
Conclusion
When it comes to making adult purchases online, being cautious and well-informed is essential. Take the time to research and read reviews, check for discreet packaging and billing, choose secure payment methods, and read the return and refund policy. By following these tips, you can ensure a smooth and secure adult shopping experience online.
Article by MissBonnie © collarncuffs.com