People are shopping less and less in malls and flea markets and more and more in online stores and auctions because they are more tech-savvy and take less time.
People used to worry about protecting their credit when they bought things online, but lately, the web has become a buyers' market. If you haven't tried online shopping yet because you're afraid of fraud, read this article. It's all about how to keep your credit safe when you buy things online.
With all the encryption, password-protected stores, and computer firewalls, online shopping is now a very safe thing to do. As a busy mom, I don't have time to run to 10 different stores, so I do most of my shopping online. When you want to buy something online, I think the first thing you should do is look into the seller.
If it's a real online store, use a search engine to see if other people have said anything about it. Check the seller's feedback if you are buying from an online auction site.
Many sites now require you to sign up before you can buy something from their online store. You must enter a username and password before making a purchase, which is another great safety feature. As long as you are the only one who knows the password, your credit is more likely to stay safe.
When you buy things online, another way to protect your credit is to read the fine print on your credit card company's website. Even though many credit card companies offer buyer's insurance, you should read the actual terms that your credit card company offers to protect your credit.
Also, if you check your card balance often, you can let your credit card company know right away if someone is using your card without your permission. Some credit card companies will even call you every now and then to talk about your last ten purchases.
I also think you should set aside one credit card for use online. This will help you keep track of your online purchases and make it easier to spot fraud if it happens (as opposed to keeping track of 5 to 10 different cards). Not only that, but if someone does get their hands on your information, they can only use one of your cards and leave the rest alone. As an extra safety measure, you could choose a card with a low credit limit.
Now, if you're hooked on shopping online, you need to make sure your computers are safe. Too often, people start clicking on public computers and don't realise that they never logged out of the store where they were shopping. Most sites won't let you go back to pages without entering your password again, but you should always log out of sites just to be safe. Also, if your computer is on a network, turn on the firewall software so that other people can't see what's on your hard drive.
Being smart is the best way to keep your credit safe when you buy things online. If you follow these simple rules, you'll soon be telling your friends how to protect their credit when shopping online. Happy Shopping!
