As more and more of us do our shopping online, it’s important to know what to look for when purchasing. When created correctly, online shopping sites are a simple, safe way to buy. (In fact, you can make the argument that your credit card information actually is safer traveling secured online channels than it is when you sign a sales slip with carbons that could end up in unscrupulous hands.)
The trouble is that not all Internet sites are secured properly. Any Web developer with any Internet knowledge at ALL should not be creating ecommerce forms that aren’t secured. Yet they do. In fact, I’ve run across a couple of them recently. The irresponsibility of this practice infuriates me more than I can possibly express. If you are a businessperson and hire someone to work on an ecommerce site, be sure that the developer understands security issues. No “professional” Web firm should be doing ecommerce anything, if they aren’t willing to learn about the security issues inherent in online transactions.
So now that you are aware that not all Web developers are created equal, how can you avoid the bad sites? First, avoid buying anything from a site that doesn’t have any contact information. Responsible site owners put their address, phone number, terms, conditions, and return policies. They also should have a contact form or other way to get in touch with them easily. Reputable companies also post a privacy policy and many have online certifications, such as the BBB Online Reliability logo. You can click the logo and read information about the company’s standing with the BBB.
The most important step is when you get to check out. Before typing your credit card information into a Web form, in your browser, look for either https:// on the address line or a little lock icon. Either one of these two indicators show that the form is secure. A plain-vanilla Web form, such as a contact form, is not secure. All it does is send an e-mail, and by itself, e-mail is not secure. So never enter credit card info into a form when you don’t see the lock or the https:// on the address line.
When you’re done, print out your receipts and e-mail confirmations, so you have a record of the transaction. If there’s a problem, you’ll be glad you did.