Using your credit card

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ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS

SPAM
It's not just for breakfast anymore

Want to make $1,500 a week without leaving your home? Looking to earn $80,000 in 3 weeks by just sending five $1 bills? Need to consolidate your credit in one easy transaction? Chances are, if you've used e-mail, you've received similar messages of promise. And if you ever actually responded, you'll know it's all a bunch of bunk. This type of online junk mail is known as SPAM.

The easiest way to deal with it all? Just ignore it. By responding, you're alerting the company that their e-mail actually made it to you, and you'll be hit even harder.

But you can avoid spam before it ever hits you. When filling out forms to buy something, join a newsletter or even enter a contest, only answer the basic questions like name and address. Most sites will ask questions like annual income, family members, number of cars owned, etc. It's a safe bet that they're selling your information to other companies, so only answer the appropriate questions. Some sites even put an asterisk next to the questions you need to answer. Stick with them and you'll cut down your spam in no time.

MATTER OF TRUST
Look for the seal of approval

Dying to do some online shopping but still wary of giving out too much personal information over the Internet? Never fear, TRUSTe is here.

TRUSTe, an independent non-profit organization, acts as an Internet watchdog, keeping tabs on how companies use the information you give them. Sites that follow TRUSTe's policies will display a TRUSTe seal, meaning they'll tell you exactly what they plan on doing with the information you're feeding them. For more information (or to see which sites have joined up with TRUSTe), just check out their Website at www.truste.org.

While some Websites will accept personal checks and money orders, your primary method of online payment will be with a credit card (if you have one). Credit cards are the safest and most convenient way to shop online. After you've done your shopping, and you're ready to check out, you'll be given a form to fill out with your personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.), as well as your credit card type (VISA, MasterCard, etc.), number and expiration date. Just fill it out and within seconds your order will be processed and a confirmation should be e-mailed to you.

But can't someone steal my credit card info?

Sure, if you're not careful. That's why you should only buy from Websites that are secure, and you should never use e-mail to send credit card information. Secure Websites encrypt your credit card information so it can't be read if it's intercepted. How do you know if a site's secure? First off, when you enter a secure Website, your browser may display a pop-up window informing you that you're about to enter a secure site.

Another easy way to identify a secure site is through a small lock or key icon on the bottom of your browser. (Different browsers use slightly different icons). Just look at the bottom of your browser window and look for a locked lock or an unbroken key. If you find it, the site should be secure. On the other hand, if you don't see this icon, or if you see an unlocked lock or a broken key, the page is not secure. A third indicator of a secure page is in the web address (or URL) near the top of your browser. If it starts with "https://www..." rather than the usual "http://www..." then the page is secure.

If I send my credit card information though a secure page, am I completely safe?

Unfortunately, no. While your credit card information probably got to the company safely, you don't know what will happen to it once the company has it. Nevertheless, it's often safer to use a credit card securely online than to use your credit card offline. For example, when you shop over the phone and read your credit card number to the stranger taking your order, or when you hand your credit card to your waiter at a restaurant, you never know what that person might do with your credit card information. You're taking the risk that they could use it or sell it. When you make a secure online purchase, there's less of a chance that employees will have easy access to your information, especially at the biggest online shopping sites. So not only should you make sure your purchases are secure, but you should also only buy from stores you trust.

What happens if I pay for something and never receive my order?

The first thing to do is to quickly contact the company you ordered from and try to resolve the problem. If you have no luck, and you paid by credit card, then your credit card company should be able to help. Give them a call and explain the situation and they'll tell you what you need to do. If the company you ordered from and your credit card company won't help you, you can try contacting your state's consumer protection agency or Attorney General for help. You can also try complaining to the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) or the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center (www.fraud.org).

What if I discover that someone is using my credit card?

Call your credit card company immediately! In most cases you'll be responsible for only the first $50 of unauthorized charges (and you can even try to get the credit card company to reduce that amount). With some credit cards you're not responsible for ANY of the unauthorized charges. However, if your credit card company gives you trouble, you may need to get help from your state's consumer protection agency or Attorney General.

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