Shop safe and smart online (page 2 of 2)

Ironically, paying by credit card is the safest way to transact business over the Web. Encryption and validation technologies have made most transactions quite secure, and furthermore, under U.S. law your potential liability for unauthorized use of your credit card is limited to fifty dollars. You don't get the same kind of protection from checks or money orders, and certainly not when you use cash. Never send cash to make an online purchase.

If using a credit card still makes you a bit wary, you may want to obtain a substitute or single-use card number for your online purchases. Some credit card companies have begun to offer these one-time payment methods to their cardholders.

Substitute numbers are valid for a single purchase, and immediately thereafter, they expire. That way, even if a hacker or dishonest employee steals your credit card number, you won't be damaged. Check with your credit card company to see whether substitute numbers are available.

Keep transaction records
Keep a record of all your online transactions. Transaction records are a convenient way to track shipping dates and other details. They're also a key piece of evidence should a dispute arise regarding an online purchase. Fortunately, keeping records is quite easy. Most online shops provide a summary page when you complete a transaction. Simply print that page and place it in your files. You may also want to download a copy of the summary page and save it to your hard drive. That way you'll have two copies of every transaction, one paper and the other electronic.

Don't abandon good shopping habits
Just because you're shopping online doesn't mean it's okay to drop your regular habits. For example, make sure you shop around before making a major online purchase. Once you get into it, you'll find online comparison shopping easy and fast.

You can skip from store to store in seconds rather than minutes, and you'll never arrive at a store to find it's already closed. Web-based shops are open 24 hours per day. Despite their convenience, however, you don't want to use online stores for every kind of purchase. For instance, be wary of purchasing unique or expensive collectibles over the Web.

You should really inspect and handle these sorts of items before deciding to buy them. Likewise, be extremely careful when engaging in online auctions. Before making a bid, make sure you know exactly what it is you're trying to buy. Moreover, make certain you trust the auctioneer and that you've read and understand the auction's rules.

Protect your computer
Finally, just as you safeguard your physical files and currency at home, you should also keep your digital means of commerce safe. Symantec provides a variety of tools to give you the protection you need. Norton Personal Firewall™ hides your computer from hackers and helps prevent identity thieves from obtaining your personal information.

It also helps root out unwanted spyware and cookies, protecting your online activities from prying eyes. Meanwhile, Norton AntiVirus™ defends against Trojan horses and other threats that could be used to invade your machine and compromise your data.

You can get all these defenses in one solution with Norton Internet Security™, a suite of tools designed to protect your data and privacy and to give you online peace of mind. Combined with a savvy consumer approach, these Symantec solutions make online shopping what it was intended to be—a convenient, worry-free alternative to the traditional marketplace.