Shopping Online

There are precautions that you can take to protect your personal information whilst shopping online:

• Make sure your web-browser (that's the software that you use to view websites, most commonly Internet Explorer) is set to the highest level of security notification and monitoring. These options are not always automatically activated when your computer is set-up
• Make sure you are using the latest version of your browser, as this will take advantage of the latest security measures.
• Only use sites that offer Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, you can tell which sites these are because a padlock will be displayed on the status bar whenever SSL is enabled. Unfortunately, not all secure sites produce a padlock so to double-check, right-click on a blank part of the page and click on Properties. This should tell you that the protocol being used is 'Hypertext Transfer Protocol with Privacy' and that the URL begins with 'https://'.
• Before purchasing from a website, make a record of the retailer's contact details, including a street address and landline phone number. If these details are not available on the website, consider going elsewhere to buy, do not rely on the e-mail address alone.  If you have any queries or concerns, telephone the company before giving them your card details to reassure yourself that it is legitimate.
• Print out your order and keep copies of the retailer's terms and conditions and returns policy. Be aware that there may well be additional charges such as postage and VAT. When buying from overseas always remember that it may be difficult to seek compensation if problems arise.
• Check your bank and card statements carefully as soon as you receive them. Raise any discrepancies with the retailer concerned in the first instance. If you find any transaction on your statement that you are certain you did not make, contact your card issuer immediately.
• Ensure that you are fully aware of any payment commitments you are entering into, including whether you are instructing a single payment or a series of payments.
• Never disclose your card's PIN number to anyone, including people claiming to be from your bank or the police, and never write it down or send it over the Internet.
• If you have any doubts about using your card, find another method of payment.