5 Best Ways to Have a Safer Online Shopping Experience

Thanks to the power of the internet, people can buy just about anything they want online. From children’s clothes to sexy lingerie. Either on phones or laptops or any internet-enabled device. It’s one of the easiest things to do online. 

You only need to open a browser on your device, type in your search and you will be bombarded with lots of sites selling what you want to buy. Websites like Britainreviews house a notable amount of companies online, in the UK that offer products and services that people want.

Shopping online can be scary even though it’s easy. One fear most online shoppers have is stores that don’t have great customer relations. One can read online shopping reviews to deal with this fear. Another fear is staying safe while shopping online. Let’s look at how to do this, below.

1. SSL User: When you find a site selling what you want to buy, check the address bar and look for a padlock icon on the left of the site’s address. Also, check the address. It must start with an “HTTPS” and not “HTTP”. This means that the website is well protected from hackers trying to steal your details. 

A site that has SSL ( Secure Sockets Layer) has enough structure to enable you to shop without fear of your identity or money being stolen through your credit card while shopping with them.

2. Shop With Familiar or Popular Sites: Trusted sites are well known. They have a name, reputation, and a business to protect and run. They put in enough structure and protection to keep you safe when shopping with them. You won’t find deals that look fishy or fake products in their offers. 
3. Use Strong Passwords: If a shopping site requires you to open an account with them before you shop, use strong passwords. Use a combination of letters in different cases, numbers, and characters to create a unique password for the site. Don’t use the same password for your other accounts on other sites. If an account is breached, the chance is the others will too.
4. Be Wary of Superb Deals: Scammers create phoney websites advertising deals that can catch people’s attention. They bank on people’s greed. Social media sites are also a place to find such deals. Be wary of them. Clicking a link could lead them straight into your bank details. If the offer or product price looks too good to be true, then it is. Don’t give in to greed.
5. Never Buy on Public WiFi: Public WiFi places are hunting grounds for hackers. They lurk around waiting for someone to use a credit card to purchase something online and steal details like name, address, credit card number, and more.

Think of online shopping safety like when you hold tight to your purse or bag when you go shopping physically. Especially in areas prone to pick-pockets and the likes. You want to protect your money, but with online buying, you want to protect more than your money. You want to protect your name and identity as a whole.  With your name and address, scammers can wreak a lot of havoc on your person. They target people from just about anywhere and through any device. Use the above steps to protect yourself while shopping online.

Benjamin Blair

“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”