Ruadhán Jones explains how to protect yourself while shopping online
It’s a truism at this point to say that online shopping has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Recently, the closure of non-essential stores, black Friday and Christmas’ imminent arrival have driven sales even higher.
Many will be new to the world of online shopping and may be finding the ease with which it’s completed very convenient. Often, all it takes is a few clicks and, especially if you have stored your card details with a store, a few numbers and your presents are on the way.
But we should still be aware of the possibilities for fraud it opens us up to, ones its convenience can conceal. According to a report by the Gardaí, in the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 October 2020, 489 Online Shopping Frauds were reported. The average loss was €2,306 per incident representing an overall loss to Irish citizens of €1,127,972.
In order to raise awareness about the dangers of online fraud, the Gardaí are supporting a Europe wide campaign which gives some golden rules to follow when shopping online. In this article, I’m going to cover the basics.
Before ordering
The first thing to say is that ordering online using your credit or debit card is a safe method, as long as you exercise the same care as in other shopping. The most fundamental rule is to buy from reputable brands and shops. There are quite a few, from Amazon to Dunnes, who are trustworthy online sellers.
However, it is still worth your while being cautious when using sites like Amazon as they serve as a platform for independent companies. There are a few ways you can assess how good or trustworthy such companies are.
As a general rule, for any site you’re using for the first time, check to see if they list the name and full contact details, including postal address, of the web trader so you know who you are dealing with. Do not rely on just an e-mail address or a post box. If you’re still uncertain, check the business registration number where applicable.
The more verifiable information they give, the better. For professional sellers and companies like Dunnes or Brown Thomas, you won’t find names and numbers, but these sites are typically less of a threat as they control all their own sales.
Check reviews
Another way to check if a seller is real, or simply to check if he or she provides a good service, is to look up reviews online. A simple Google can tell you an awful lot about a site. You can see the type of feedback previous customers have left them, whether their experience was positive or negative.
Take the time to read the terms and conditions attached to delivery, such as delivery costs, accepted currencies, taxation and the like”
You can check shop and service reviews on known reviews sites such as Amazon Customer Review, Trustpilot, Which?, Google My Business, Facebook Ratings and Reviews.
You can also check for trust marks. These are electronic labels on websites that indicate that the e-trader has agreed to follow the rules and regulations of a trust mark scheme, like the EU Trusted Shops Guarantee, and click on the trust mark to verify its official registration.
The next step the Gardaí advise is to read the small-print, as it were. Take the time to read the terms and conditions attached to delivery, such as delivery costs, accepted currencies, taxation and the like. It’s important to be attentive to delivery conditions, as websites apparently based in Ireland or the UK may in fact ship from, for example, America. This will have a major effect on the shipping cost, among other things.
Making a purchase
Once you have determined that the website or individual seller is legitimate, you can move onto the next step – making a purchase. There are still things to look out for here, namely methods of payment, checking the website security and saving all documents relating to payment. The Europol campaign has four tips when making your payment.
-Save or print the description and the terms and conditions which are displayed by the merchant and which you need to accept before you can place your order.
-Accept the payment by entering the number and expiry date of your card on the online form and follow the merchant’s instructions. If the online store uses full authentication, you will then be transferred for instance to your online banking service for identification.
-Save or print the acknowledgement of your payment displayed by the merchant.
-Keep the saved or printed details in case they are needed later for checking or for comparison.
One further consideration to make is how secure the site you are using is. There are two signs that it is secure. The first is that the website will have the text https:// at the start of it. You can view this by checking the taskbar. The second is a little lock symbol should be visible in the top left corner of the taskbar, beside the refresh button. These two signs indicate the site is secure.
Returns
Make sure to have checked return policies before paying, as not every seller’s will be the same. Some may do full returns, others will require you to pay for postage on any item returned. If there is no obvious returns policy, it’s advisable to contact the seller before proceeding or else to look elsewhere.
If you have problems with a product or delivery, always contact the store where you made the purchase first. Preferably use e-mail so that you have a record of your correspondence. If you cannot resolve the matter with the merchant, contact your bank’s customer service. They will give you further instructions, for example if you should file a report to the police.
It is best to carry out any contact you have with the seller or your bank through email so that you have written copies of all transactions. Copies should be saved of any important documentation.
Avoid scams
The last thing I advise you to be aware of are spam emails from websites which come directly into your personal inbox without your permission. These types of emails will typically be easy to spot under the ‘too good to be true’ principle.
As a general rule, regardless of who you are in contact with, do not share your credit or debit card details over email”
If the email promises of huge rewards such as lottery winnings, messages stating urgent action is required to claim your winnings, and requests for upfront payment or private information, then it’s probably spam. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is!
The main aim of these ‘phishing’ emails is to get you to send sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords. In order to avoid such potential threats, never reply to unsolicited e-mails and do not click on links or attachments in these e-mails.
As a general rule, regardless of who you are in contact with, do not share your credit or debit card details over email. The bank will never ask you for them, nor should a reputable online seller. In the end, you should approach online shopping with same wariness as you would in store – don’t give your details to strangers, if it seems suspect pull out and take good care of you bank card details.
