Online Shopping Quick Tips

Do you shop online? According to census.gov, around 10% of all retail sales were conducted online this year and the number is only increasing. Here are a few tips to remember the next time you’re buying products online. First, always use well-known and trusted websites when conducting your online shopping. When creating accounts on e-commerce sites use a strong and unique password. Password managers like LastPass can help you keep you keep track of them.

Look for the Green Lock Symbol

When you are planning to make an online payment, make sure there is a green lock symbol next to the URL. A green lock means the information you are sending is encrypted and secure. Another clue will be that the website address starts with https:// instead of just http://. The S stands for secure (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure).Without that green lock, it’s possible for hackers to steal your credit card information. Never conduct any online shopping, or bill paying, without a secure connection.

Third-Party Sellers on Amazon

Not all products listed on Amazon are actually sold by Amazon. Products can be Shipped From and Sold by Amazon, Sold by [Company] and Fulfilled by Amazon, or Shipped From and Sold By [Company]. Make sure to always read the product reviews, especially the bad ones. If the product is sold by or shipped from a third-party, read the seller reviews as well. Be wary of sellers without any reviews.