June 12th, 2009 by admin

Everyone is talking about online shopping. It’s easy and a lot less hassle than a trip to the mall. It puts unbelievable choice right at your fingertips. Despite the advantages, there are certain things you do and don’t do when it comes to your money and your safety. Street smarts are the rule online and off when it comes to safe shopping. Online that goes double.

Online shoppers, just like those in the physical world, know to be aware of the neighborhood where they are shopping. They know the reputations of the places where they do business. They watch their wallets, and they know to be aware of who might be scrutinizing them just a little too closely.

Do a little research. Anyone can build a website. If you encounter an unfamiliar company where you want to shop, find out who they are. Look for an address. Be wary of any company that does not list one. An address is no guarantee, but you can use it to check references with the Better Business Bureau, BBB. Their online site at http://bbb.org/ has nationwide listings.

Sometimes you may want more information than the BBB provides. In this case, after the BBB check, use your favorite search engine and try an “about search.” The difference in an “about search,” and just looking for the site, is that you already know where the site is; now you want to find out what people are saying about it. Generally, just putting “about” in front of the company name will get you started.

For a very small purchase, you might want to dispense with all this investigating. But do use a low limit credit card. That way if anything does go awry, it isn’t that far awry. Yes, we all know about the $50 liability limit, but the low limit card can be a hassle saver online.

You may choose not to use a debit card online at all. Many debit cards do not offer the same protections against fraud as credit card companies. You could be putting your whole bank account at risk.

While you are at it, be sure to check out the return policy and guarantee. Online and off, most good companies do accept returns, either by providing a cash refund or product exchange. Note, however, shipping costs are typically not refunded for online purchases.

Online Security:

After you’ve found exactly what you have been looking for, checked out the seller, and their return policy; the next thing you need to do is make sure the site is secure. Secure means your personal information is encrypted in transit to the seller’s server. This prevents unauthorized (hacker) access and possible misuse of your credit information.

Examine the URL in the address bar. If the site is encrypted you will see an “s” directly after the http - like https://. The whole site will not be encrypted, but the order page for the transaction should be.

Other things to look for - depending on your browser, you may see either an open or a closed padlock, or a whole or broken key. If the key is broken or the lock open, you should assume that the site is not encrypted.

Sometimes security issues get tricky. Suppose you personally know the owner, it is a solid local business, but there is no encryption system in place and they expect you to transmit your credit information online. With small businesses, this is most often a case of not knowing better, that does not, however, mean that you do not. In cases like this, look for a phone number and call in your order. If there is no phone number and no mailing address, you should seriously consider whether you want to risk an unsecured transaction.

Common sense is the rule online and off. Guard your personal information, including Social Security Number, bank account information and passwords. No reputable merchant has a need for your Social Security Number and it is not standard policy to ask for it when you buy your groceries for instance. Requiring this for a routine purchase should send up a red flag. You should immediately take your business elsewhere. Some will do whatever they can think of, in all kinds of official looking ways, to get you to provide private personal information. If you call, they may personally assure you that they do indeed need your bank account and password to sell you that CD. No way, just because it looks good, and they sound sincere, doesn’t mean that it is or they are, and you may not know there was ever a problem until you see your credit report.

The last big rule is to keep copies of everything. Print out the pages with the description and prices of items you order. Print out your credit card receipt. Most companies will email you a copy as well. Keep that too, and make sure it matches your online information.

And remember, online and off, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t let the heat of the offer lull you into abandoning your good common sense. Of course, you could miss the deal of a lifetime, and that is exactly what the unscrupulous want you to think. Likely as not, online and off - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Shopping the net is destined to change the way we do business, but it is still a new frontier, with many of the uncertainties that go with it. The only way to really be secure online is to develop your street smarts and sometimes, that may not be enough. It will certainly level the field though, and by keeping your cyber smarts well honed, you should be able to safely shop the net.

Regina Garson has lived and worked on the Internet for many years. She teaches computer classes at Virginia College in Huntsville, Alabama. Online and off, she has helped many learn their way around the net. For more about online shopping, you can visit her website: LaFindz of the Net at http://lafindz.tripod.com

May 22nd, 2009 by admin

You can shop online in a safe way, and save money too.

For those hard to find items or very busy shoppers, online shopping is ideal. You can simply find the item you are looking for without going through store after store. A lot of sites, like a popular auction one, are quite addicting. You can find really good deals without having to leave your house.

I am sometimes surprised at how many people I meet that are scared of purchasing things via the internet. I understand, after all you are simply sending your information out into the unknown.

But if you are shopping wisely, you will find that the Internet is often safer than using your credit card to buy gasoline. After all, do you know the clerk that now has a copy of your card number and expiration date?

Here are a few tips for shopping safely online:

1. You need to download the most recent version of your Internet browser. This will give you the latest encryption capabilities to protect your information that is transmitted over the web.

2. The padlock icon on the status bar at the bottom of your browser window will tell you that a site is secure.

3. Only shop from secure sites.

4. An “s” is added to http (https) that shows that the site is on a secure server.

5. Before you submit any information to a site, make sure you read the privacy policy. Don’t just click “I agree”. Read it.

6. Don’t provide your information unless you know who it is, why you need to provide it and how it will be used. Don’t give it to anyone who contacts you. When in doubt, pick up the phone and call the company. If you feel safer shopping online but paying by phone, go ahead. It takes a bit longer, but you will feel better.

7. Don’t use your debit card for Internet purchases. For those of you without a credit card (you shouldn’t be using one anyway), you can use Paypal to pay for things at many sites. Or call and pay by telephone.

8. Make sure that you review your credit card and bank statements each month for any fraudulent charges. If you notice anything funny, contact the bank or credit company immediately.

9. Clean your computer with spyware detection and virus protection regularly. A firewall will protect your computer from spyware.

The majority of identity theft and fraud are not found on the internet. After all, all a thief has to do to get your account numbers is to pick up your mail or go through your trash. Many will simply break into your home and take your financial files. The internet is a good place to shop for good bargains. If you are wise and pay attention to who you purchase from, you should have no problems. Good luck.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

May 1st, 2009 by admin

If recreating the old experience of subscribing to magazines by filling out a subscription card is essential to the success as an Internet retailer, then MagMall.com takes top awards. The retailer has created a web site with all the ease of use of the original pop out cards through fast loading graphics, and an intuitively designed layout that is both easy to follow and navigate.

“Visitors to the magazine subscription site get the feeling that subscribing online is just as easy as subscribing through the mail, but with added benefits,” says Fariman Dejouli, head of graphics design for Mountain Network Systems LLC. “It is a well laid out site for finding magazines and filling out subscription forms.”

A recent addition to their arsenal of web-based tools is the ability for shoppers to search for magazines by price range, first letter, category or even description. Shoppers can use their advanced searching feature to combine different search parameters. Of course, the fastest way to find magazines is to just type in a title in their search box or to click a fast category link in their fundamentally simple left navigation system.

The web site enhancements were developed in conjunction with Mountain-net.com, which offers one of the original ecommerce shopping cart platforms called Webcart. The inclusion of the new web site searching tools is part of a multi-pronged strategy by MagMall to cater to consumers who want to subscribe to all their magazines from one place.

“MagMall does a much better job than its competitors when it comes to evolving its web site,”, Dejouli says. “From a purely ecommerce transaction standpoint their site works extremely well.”

Jason Ciment
jason@magmall.com
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http://www.magmall.com
Magazine subscriptions - Save up to 85% off retail prices
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http://www.mountain-net.com
Webcart - The Total Ecommerce Shopping Cart Software Solution

April 10th, 2009 by admin

If you’re trying to find unique gift ideas for a friend or loved one, you can get great bargains and products by discount shopping at an online gift store. No matter what the occasion, there are plenty of items to choose from, all marked at great prices. Online gift stores became popular years ago as an alternative to in-store shopping. With busy schedules, many people just don’t have time to go from store to store looking for a great gift at a bargain. Below you’ll see just how much you can benefit from discount shopping online for gifts.

Discover Great Gifts for All Occasions

By discount shopping at an online gift store, you can browse through many categories and products to find the gifts you need. Some gift items you might find at an online mall include jewelry, lingerie electronics, luggage, blue tooth, etc. An online gift store will usually be categorized to make it easier to find items.

You can find interesting items for anniversary gifts, Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, wedding gifts, and many other occasions. For the holidays, you can buy multiple Christmas gifts at one website and take advantage of tremendous bargains. Discount shopping is much easier and faster than going from store to store in your local town and struggling to find the gifts you need through crowded aisles.

Unique Products Available Online

Another advantage of discount shopping at an online gift store is you can find unique products that may not be available in your local area. You have the advantage of choosing from a variety of brand names and saving dollars on brand names that would otherwise be too expensive.

For instance, a Sienna luggage set that would normally cost around $600 at a department store might cost you only around $200 at an online gift mall. That’s an amazing savings!

You can also get great bargains on toys, electronics, jewelry, blue tooth, lingerie, painted glass, pet supplies, etc.

Save Valuable Time by Discount Shopping Online

When you shop online for gifts, you are saving valuable time because you don’t have to shop around from store to store. It’s convenient to be able to shop from your own home computer any time, day or night. Online stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Business Opportunities

If you’re thinking of going in business for yourself, some gift stores will sell items to you in bulk so you can receive huge discounts and resell the products. For example, if you’d like to start your own jewelry shop online or offline, you can buy items like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. in bulk as you need more stock for your inventory.

Discount shopping for unique gifts is fun once you become familiar with your favorite online mall. It’s like having a mall right inside your own home!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Discount Shopping for Unique Gifts or Majon’s Gifts and Collectibles directory.

March 20th, 2009 by admin

It’s true…Shopping online HAS gotten better.

Now when you shop online or offline (at participating merchants), you can receive Rebates and Reward Points on ALL your purchases. Rebates and Reward Points can be in the form of a check or gift certificate to stores.

There is over 250 online stores that offer Rebates and Reward Points. More than likely the store you shop at is a member of the Discount Home Shoppers Club that offers cash back on your purchases.

Here is a small list of the stores currently offering Rebates and Reward Points:

Amazon.com; AOL Online Store; Best Buy; Blockbuster Online; Dell Computers; Expedia; Gateway; HotWire; Orbitz Travel; PetSmart; Target; Tower Records; Various Hotels; Verizon Wireless; Zales

Check out the website below to see a complete list of stores that offers cash back rewards.

Another advantage of joining is the weekly specials that are offered through the Discount Home Shoppers Club. Each week, a business offers dicounts or deals on merchandise/services that they provide.

Signing up is 100% free, there is never any cost or obligation to be a member. We have four types of FREE membership to choose from, so you can choose the membership that is right for you.

Sign up today, its fast and easy, and start getting cash back on your purchases right away.

Brian S.
http://www.therebatemall.com