How to Shop Online? Which E-commerce Sites are Safe?
With the advancement of technology and the widespread use of the internet, shopping has become as easy as sitting at home in front of your computer, without having to visit store after store. However, despite these conveniences, shopping from unreliable sources can result in consumers overpaying for products or, worse, paying for something that either arrives very late or not at all.

What Should a Secure Shopping Site Look Like?

- The e-commerce site should provide clear and visible contact details (a landline phone number, physical address, and email address). E-commerce sites without these details typically cannot obtain virtual POS from banks, as they are not permitted to operate without proper contact information. However, an e-commerce site that has obtained a virtual POS from the bank might later remove or not display these details and may sell through bank transfer instead.

- The payment page for credit card transactions should be secure. The web address at the top of your browser should start with "https" instead of "http". The "s" stands for secure, meaning the page is encrypted and protected. This encryption is provided by international security certificate companies like Verisign, Comodo, and Geotrust.

This certificate is also called the SSL certificate, and on the credit card payment page, you will see a padlock symbol at the bottom right of your browser. Clicking on this padlock will show you detailed information about the security certificate.

- Even if an e-commerce site is new, it does not necessarily mean it is not secure. A new site may belong to an old and well-established company. Before making a purchase, you can always call the company or email them to ask any questions and gather more information.

- Another way to check an e-commerce site’s reliability is by researching the company. You can type the company name in a search engine or check forums for reviews and consumer comments about the site.
When shopping online, what should you pay attention to?

- If you found a product you like and decided to purchase it and you no longer have any security concerns about the company, only enter your credit card information on a secure site with an SSL certificate. The interface where you enter your card information should be a secure page provided by the bank, ensuring no one else can access this information (assuming your computer is free from viruses and trojans, and you have up-to-date antivirus and antispyware software).

Never place an order with your credit card from an unknown computer, especially from internet cafes. If you are paying by bank transfer, verify the company’s name and bank account number before making the transfer to avoid sending money to the wrong place.

- If you’ve completed your purchase and paid via credit card or bank transfer, and you are waiting for the product to arrive, if the product takes longer than 7 business days, be sure to contact the company and inquire about the delay.

- When the product arrives via cargo, inspect it thoroughly. If the product is new and in its original packaging, it is likely sent insured. Once you verify that there is no damage, sign the cargo receipt. Otherwise, request a report or refuse the delivery.

- After receiving the product, if you open the packaging and find that the product is broken or defective, consumer rights come into play. In this case, take a few photos of the product along with the packaging to prove that the damage was not caused by you.

A faulty or defective product can be returned to the company within the 7-day legal period defined by consumer rights, and you can request a replacement or a refund.