How to Stay Safe While Online Shopping
If you’re spending money online, then you’re assuming a degree of risk. It’s difficult to know for certain where your sensitive details are going to end up. But you can limit the danger with the help of a few simple precautions. Let’s consider some of the more worthwhile ones.
Check the retailer is legitimate
Not all online retailers are equally trustworthy. What’s more, in some cases, you’ll find that untrustworthy ones often pose as trustworthy ones. You can vet a particular site by looking at its reviews on services like Google Business Reviews and Trustpilot. Don’t click on any link you’ve been sent directly.
There are a few red flags to look for, too. You might look for a padlock symbol on your browser’s URL bar, which signifies that a connection is encrypted. If you’re being pressured into paying via bank transfer or Bitcoin, then you can assume that the site is scamming you, too.
Pay the safer way: use protected payment methods
Some methods of payment are inherently secure. Under UK law, credit card providers share responsibility with the retailer in the event that something goes wrong, and you’ll get built-in insurance whenever you pay using credit cards. This is a result of Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Card networks also run a scheme known as chargeback, which allows you to reverse the payment and claim back money on goods that don’t arrive, or that are faulty. It’s an extra layer of protection, and very useful when a seller becomes unresponsive.
Lock down your accounts and devices
If an unscrupulous third party can gain access to your bank account, or your accounts on Amazon or some other online store, then they might be able to steal your details. Be aware of the danger of phishing, which is now extremely prevalent in the UK. Make sure that all of your passwords are unique, complex, and ideally generated by a password manager, which in turn is protected using two-factor authentication.
Know the rules for platforms and products
Under UK law, consumers are protected by a series of legal rights. For example, you’re entitled by the Consumer Contracts Regulations to cancel any order within fourteen days of placing it. If the product is faulty, the Consumer Rights Act entitles you to return it for a full refund, provided that you’ve done so within thirty days of receiving it.
In the future, the Product Regulation and Metrology Act is set to make it more difficult to sell dangerous and illegal products online. This can help to protect consumers, and the wider public, from these items.
