• Check them out. I always try to verify the reputation of the companies I’m purchasing from. Often, customer feedback shows how many stars the company has received as well as comments that have been made. Secondly, I check with the Better Business Bureau or the TRUSTe ratings if it is a company that I’m not familiar with. You can click on the BBB or TRUSTe logos to make sure they’re legit.
• Be secure. When shopping on a website, check that the web address has an “s” after the “http”. Secondly, make sure that the padlock (on many web browsers it’s located in the bottom right hand corner of the page or in the address bar) is closed, not open.
• Guard your information. There is some information I don’t provide to retailers. Primarily, these are my birth date and social security number. I also don’t let the retailer’s site “store” any of my information and I never make purchases on a public or shared computer.
• Verify the details. I always check the return, refund, exchange, shipping and privacy policies as well as the physical address of the retailer. I do these things wherever I shop, whether in person or on the Internet. I also use a credit card to pay for my purchases, as there are greater protections if fraud does occur.