Shop safe and smart online

They make shopping an expedient stay-at-home affair. Of course, it takes time for most people to trust new technology, and some consumers still shy away from online shopping-oftentimes because they believe it's too risky.

But, the fact is, online shopping is actually quite safe. As today's savvy shopper understands, Web-based stores are essentially extensions of the physical marketplace. Therefore, safeguards afforded the regular consumer also protect the online shopper.

Likewise, the instincts and experiences you've developed as a brick-and-mortar consumer apply equally well to the Internet. Once you trust the technology-and yourself as an online shopper-most concerns fall away. Yet, the Internet is indeed a new and distinct medium for transacting business, and there are a few basic things you can learn to make your online shopping experience more secure.

Know your sellers
It may be a subconscious process, but when you're shopping at the mall or walking Main Street, you constantly make judgments about the people trying to sell you things. You evaluate the aesthetic quality and orderliness of their stores. You consider their track record, taking into account their reputation and the experiences you've had with them.

You interact face-to-face with owners, managers, and sales clerks, an invaluable way to gauge your comfort level with a potential seller. On the Web, these sorts of assessments are a bit more difficult. You can't look someone in the eye over the Internet. You can't see other patrons transacting business. And, you can't observe the state of a store's offices and storerooms. However, you can do a number of things to familiarize with a vendor and its reputation.

Check with the Better Business Bureau or the store's local Chamber of Commerce to get an objective appraisal of the company's business practices. Look for basic corporate information on the store's Web site. You should be able to find a vendor's physical address, phone number, and other essential corporate information. Sellers with nothing to hide will make all this information freely available.

If you're unable to learn who owns an online store, where its offices are located, or what its warranty and return policies are, you may want to avoid using that retailer. The bottom line is this. Only do business with online vendors you know and trust.

Use secure sites
Many Web-based stores have taken measures to make your online purchases as secure as possible. They use advanced encryption methods and validation processes to ensure your credit card number remains safe and to prevent others from fraudulently using your identity. However, not all sites employ these technologies, and it's up to you to make certain the online store you're using handles transactions securely.
There are several tell-tale signs a store has security measures in place.

If you're using Internet Explorer or Netscape, your browser will display a 'locked' icon to show you're on a secure part of a site. Secure sites will also have a slightly modified Internet address. Rather than beginning with http://, the site's URL will begin with https://. The s means the sight is using a secure server. In addition, many stores launch a pop-up window to indicate when you're moving to a safe area. If none of these indicators are present, you may want to seek out an alternative retailer.

Pay by credit card
One of the most talked-about fears surrounding online shopping is credit card fraud. 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.