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Anindita Mishra

Anindita Mishra
Cybermum, McAfee India Like any other parent, Anindita wants to make sure that her children are safe wherever ...

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Consumer :

Safe E-Shopping for Diwali

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:31pm by Anindita Mishra
Anindita Mishra

Festivals are fun time, true, but not for those in charge of planning and purchasing gifts for the extended family and friends. The hassle of deciding what to buy, where to buy and how to get it delivered can well rob one of a good night’s sleep for many nights prior to the festive day. I get shivers just imagining the task of trolling the markets on hot afternoons looking for the right items at the right prices. At such times, online shopping, or e-shopping, seems to be an answer to a prayer!

We all have a basic idea what happens when you shop online. You search for sites that offer the things you want, you select the items and quantity; add them to your virtual shopping cart, give details of shipping and billing addresses, and then use your credit card, debit card, PayPal account or netbanking facility to make payments. And it’s done!

This is what I received from eBay just now:

 

This Diwali I have received several irresistible online shopping offers. From exotic holidays, to spa therapies; from ethnic wear to meals in 5-stars; from flower arrangements to sweets, I can buy and send anything anywhere, from the comfort of my home. That too at unbelievably discounted rates! How much more can one ask for? While the lazy me wants to jump at this opportunity and finish off all my shopping with a few keystrokes, the prudent me warns of the pitfalls of e-shopping and asks me to be cautious.

On the surface, the sites and the deals they offer all appear to be genuine, sometimes verified by branded firms and banks. But all said and done, these are virtual shops.You do not know the owners, nor have you physically checked the products. As I keep harping, the virtual world holds a lot of exciting promise, but also dangers. If you act wisely and cautiously, you will be definitely able to profit from this facility. Remember, caution is the keyword.

Here’s a rough check list I follow before entering into any online transaction. You can use it and even improve it by adding some of your own. I would love to hear from you on this:

-Is my Family protection suite updated and working?
-Has my SiteAdviser marked the chosen site with a ‘safe’ green tick?
-What is the URL of the site? Does it end with .in or .com or some other suspicious combo of alphabets (necessary to check especially if your security software doesn’t have a site advisor)
-Does the company offer a contact number (where I can talk to a representative before finalising the order, get names, and verify stock)?
-What is written in small prints, like whether product size, count will vary from the images shown?
-Are the terms and conditions biased against the buyer?
-What are the shipping costs, if any?
-What are their return or replacement policies?
-Are there reviews from buyers (very important)? What do they say?
-Is there any complain against the firm or its products at the consumer grievance cell?
-Have I, or any anyone I know, tried this firm before, and were satisfied? If yes, that is a definite plus point
-Does it offer a secure payment site, one that is verified by VeriSign etc?
-Are there any hidden extras in the cost?

I would strongly advise against allowing kids to shop online unsupervised. Parents who blindly trust kids and hand them their cards to buy the game or book of their choice are infact endangering the innocent things for they are not judicious enough to critically check a site before making the purchase. Any cybercriminal can skilfully wean the bank/PayPal account details from them and cause you loss of money and mental peace. Similarly, do not reveal credit card details like CVV number and your date of birth to any customer service representative. Your card maybe misused.

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