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[O249]Online Shopping In Philippines

by Chris Raynor, Chr

However there are risks involved with online shopping. You need to be sure you are dealing with a reputable merchant, and you need to be sure your transaction is safe, and not being spied on.

While Australia doesn't have the major US shopping comparison sites Froogle and Bizrate, we do have AU.Shopping.com, Yahoo Shopping and NineMSN Shopping. However keep in mind that these are generally sponsored listings, where participating merchants have paid on a per-click or per-sale basis for their products to be included. They are not comprehensive shopping sites. True shopping comparison should include a general search for the product at major
search engines, and additional searches through online stores you already know about.

Be aware of paid advertising. Being at the top of a shopping comparison site doesn't necessarily mean you've found the best product. Look closely at the site to see if the results are sorted by price, popularity, brand, or whether the advertiser has paid for their product to be featured at the top.

Search engines can reveal other's experiences of a product or shop.
When searching for a laptop recently, a search engine found a post from
the popular Whirlpool forum providing information about which retailer had
the best warranty and after-sales service.

Search for variations on your product. When searching for dog collars,
Yahoo Shopping was confused by plurals, finding nothing, while the
singular form returned several products. NineMSN Shopping returned several results from ebay.

Check the terms and conditions on the site, returns and privacy policies, and
delivery costs. When you proceed to checkout, ensure the transaction is secure,
with the padlock appearing at the bottom of the taskbar.

If you use a credit card online, you may wish to use one with a small credit limit to reduce risk.
Or choose a third-party payment processor such as PayPal, so that you don't need to provide
your personal credit card details to each individual retailer.

More importantly, ensure that your PC is free of spyware and keylogger programs.
Even the free version of software, such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, and ZoneLab's ZoneAlarm are capable of detecting
and blocking most malware.

Several paranoid friends have even saved private information in a secure encrypted file, to cut and paste into shopping sites,
to be undetectable by keylogger programs.

For official guidance, visit the Australian Consumer Affairs website at www.consumer.gov.au for news, publications and frequently asked questions about online shopping.

Online can be great news if you're buying, and if you're selling goods, you'll reap the benefits on your bottom line. Since the Internet became the widespread commercial forum it is today, articles and debates have focused around online safety, and avoiding identity theft across the Internet. Additionally, many major online brands have focused campaigns on stamping out fraud within their business models. As a consumer, this is reassuring, but why is the Internet, especially shopping online, such a major source for fraud, and how can we move towards stopping unscrupulous sellers from plying their trades?

Whenever you're shopping online, you should always take care of your personal details, particularly your credit card details. Shopping online may seem secure, but it's always a good idea to take precautions just in case. As a general rule of thumb don't enter your card details unless the site you're with seems trustworthy and genuine. Although you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, there's a lot to be said for professionalism, and if the website doesn't look professional, you might as well go elsewhere. Never confirm your details without first ensuring you are doing so through a secure portal. This is essential to avoid making your information available to the hoards of criminals and fraudsters looking for any system loophole. Additionally, always reconcile your bank statement when it comes through, and make sure there are no payments you didn't expect. If you're making a large purchase, use a credit card ? that way, you'll be protected under the various consumer protection laws associated with purchasing on credit from your card issuer which could save you in the event of credit card fraud.

Think about shopping online in the same way you would think about mail order buying. Giving money to someone you've never met before isn't a good idea unless you can be quite sure of why you're doing it, and their reliability. Check for verification, and also look to see who provides their payment processing ? otherwise, that online might turn out to be less good value for money. Additionally, you should take care never to give out your ATM PIN number, and beware of email requests to fill in your bank details ? even if they appear to be from a reputable brand. This practice is known as ?phishing? and has been responsible for countless instances of fraud. Companies should never ask you to give out your bank information for a second time - make sure you check it out if it seems suspicious, and don't blindly do what you're told. It's your money at the end of the day.

The best single online that can be used is to exercise caution at all times. Rigorous checks of who is asking for what information and what they intend to do with it are vital to make sure you don't get conned. Shopping online is a great way to find shopping deals, but it can also be a source of endless misery if you fall foul of the fraudsters.

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Chris Raynor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate. Creator of , a safe Online Shopping Site in Australia.. Chris Raynor's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.

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