Although over two thirds of the Brits often purchase online, there are still many people who still don't trust shopping online. Of course it is a good thing to watch out where you make online payments and not have blind confidence in every shop you come across. A man warned is half saved!

A risk in online shopping is that a product will usually need to be paid before shipment. Online shopping is becoming more secure and online retailers are becoming more reliable and professional. At most stores you can shop without being hesident. We would like to give you a few tips for online shopping, that will make you confident in your decision when you decide to press the 'Order' button.

Top 10 tips for online shopping!                                                                                                                                                       

1. Do a proper check of the store

Don't know the shop? Take a moment to review the store. This can be done in different ways. What do customers say about the shop? Are there many complaints to be found on the Internet? Testimonials can be found under other price comparison sites, or search again on Google: "name of the shop + complaints" (or experiences, reviews, etc.)

But you can also see if the Chamber of Commerce information is correct. It's easy to check the correct contact information with a simple call.

2. Trust your gut feeling

It's very simple. Does the deal sound to good to be true? Online, it most likely is. If for instance somebody is offering a product like an iPad 2 for half the retail price, while all the others have a 10% discount at best, you are probably being ripped off. Don't con yourself into believing that it must be true, just because you want it so badly. You will end up buying a stolen or broken product at best, most likely not even receiving a product at all.

3. Secure connection check
If you are in the process of making online payments, check if a secure connection is established. You can check this in your browser's address bar: instead of the usual "http", on a secure connection you will have "https" displayed. The status bar at the bottom of your browser should be indicated with a little padlock icon.

This is an encrypted connection, so if your data is intercepted by a third party then your data is encrypted to make the data unusable. Many SSL encryption methods are possible.

4. Payment Methods

Internet banking is becoming safer, but just like you can always be skimmed using an ATM, it is never 100% safe. The security and paymentprotection applied to different paymentmethods still vary. When making online payments, always use a well-known firm such as NoChex, Moneybookers.com or PayPal.Protect your password and never disclose it to anyone. Use strong passwords and use a separate, unique password for the payment service. Beware of phishing - ignore potentially bogus emails and always type the website address for the service yourself, each time you use it. Don't transfer or receive money for someone else.

5. Law on Distance Selling

Many shop offer good service in terms of returning the products. Study the shop policy on returning and the trial period (reflection) that applies on purchased items. Especially if you are going to order clothing and you are not sure if it fits.

6. Use a strong password for your accounts

Using a family name, date of birth or using anything that can be directly related to yourself for a password is a bad idea. Use a password that is not too obvious. Use letters and numbers, preferably a password with at least eight characters. Even though it is easy to do so, don't use the same password for all your accounts. Even change them now and then. This may be a little tricky for you, but about how much harder it makes it on whoever would try to misuse them!

7. Check the price

Beware of hidden costs. Consider, for example, shipping or disposal costs of electronic equipment. Also check the costs of returning the products. And you need to pay attention to foreign goods you order. You could be in for a surprise by higher shipping costs or additional taxes and import duties.

8. Protect your PC

Protect your PC from harmful Internet threats, including viruses, unwanted or harmful websites, etc.. Don't give people who want to harm you by using your data a chance. The package from Kaspersky Internet Security and Norton provide a good overall security of your PC. We recommend these paid packages over the free antivirus programs. Using a Kaspersky promotional code makes it a lot cheaper anyway!

It is also important that your wireless network is secure. This is done by using a password to access the network. This way no unknown people can acces your WiFi login. The router lets you set your password, a WPA2 encryption is recommended. For this same reason it is not wise to purchase online using a public computer, a shared computer or an unknown (unsecured) network. You run the chance that strangers can trace your financial data this way.

9. Personal Data Protection Act

This law regulates the rules for the handling of your personal data. This British law obviously follows the European guidelines. This law is too comprehensive to explain in this article. In short, you should always have access to your data and that organizations should always inform what they do with your data. The organization is obliged to inform you in case of capture, use or transmit your data. Your data may not be sold to third parties without permission.

10. Do not blindly focus on the cheapest offer at a price comparison

Price comparison sites are very handy and so many people use them for orientation. Enter one product and get a bunch of information, specifications, reviews, testimonials, stores offering the product and of course a price list. A complete and useful overview and starting point for your orientation on a purchase. But a possible discount code is not included in this compasison!  And since price is the number one reason for orientation on a purchase, it is not always wise to blindly follow a price comparison site. Perhaps your desired product can be purchased somewhere even cheaper with a discount code.

Such a long article that basically says "watch out when shopping online" may deter you from buying online. It seems so many things can go wrong! But it's not that bad at all. The chance of falling into a scam online is actually really really really small. But it never hurts to be well aware of the risks and concerns, of course! Using these tips with your online purchases will reduce the risk to the minumum.

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