E-commerce has been growing around the world in recent years and traditional shopping has been replaced by a more convenient online marketplace. But with the growth of the number of shops shifting from malls to websites, there has also been a significant growth of non-existent online shops that only aim to victimize unsuspecting people. And since the targets are mostly kids, you should know how to avoid this scam by picking the right online stores. 1.Shop with your parents - There is no better way to shop online safely than by doing it with your parents. If you want to buy something online, ask them to spend time with you. They surely can tell you the good sites from the bad.
2.Go to tried and tested auctions sites - eBay, Yahoo Auctions, Bidz.com, uBid, MSN Auctions, and Amazon.com are some of the tried and tested auction sites. Just make sure that you bid from a reputable seller by reading feedbacks left by their previous buyers.
3.Choose reputable companies - Every clothing company, electronic company, toys manufacturer, and everything you see on the mall have at least one online store. So if you don't to go to the mall, then shopping at their online stores is generally safe. They also have a good after-sales service.
4.Avoid too good to be true advertisements - If you find an online store selling an item with a price that is, as we say, too good to be true, then better doubt. This is one of the ways where kids like you are lured to drain your cash to them. They are probably a scam.
5.Avoid shopping from sites you get from spam. Spam mails are often the source of "too good to be true" item and scams. So better avoid them and settle for reputable sites.
6.Don't judge websites by design - Remember the saying, "Don't judge the book by its cover"? Then it is similar to this. If you want to know if the website store is real or not, verify the site by looking for a business address and contact number. You may also want to verify the existence of the site by dialing up the number.
Shopping online is risky but keeping these guidelines will make sure that every time you purchase an item online, you are sure to get it at your doorstep.
1.Create a set of rules on how to use and what time your child can use the internet. It would be advisable if you discuss it with your kids or create the rules together with your kids. In this way, both of you can agree to each rule that you impose. This will give your kids a level or responsibility when they can participate on rule-making.
2.As much as possible, keep the internet connected computer where adults can see it (and not in your kid's bedroom). In this way, you can monitor the websites that your kids visit.
3.Speak to your kids about online pornography. You can direct them to websites about sexuality and health.
4.Block websites with malicious content. Although there are several ways to do it, the easiest way is to follow these steps: Keep one user name for the computer and one internet browser e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. This will allow you to monitor and access the internet activity of your kids. For the Internet Explorer, you can change the setting of your security access by implementing the security zone on your Internet Options menu. This way, you can restrict website access and block specific websites that your kids shouldn't see.
You can also use a firewall to block any unwanted content to enter your computer. There are several softwares that allow you to do this.
5.Show your kids how to use the internet properly. Although this may be taught in school, it is always good to spend some time with your kids while they use the internet. This way, you also bond with them and can direct them to websites that are right for their age.
6.If you allow your kids to enter chat rooms, make sure that they remain in public rooms. Tell him not to talk to anyone in private and absolutely no personal information (school, parent's occupation, address, etc.) should be given to anyone.
7.Tell your kids not to give his password to anyone, even to his friends or classmates.
8.And, make the computer area free from clutter so that your kids will enjoy the time on their computer.