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What do you know about the seller?

The Seller - Do you know the seller’s reputation?
You might feel safer dealing with companies you already know and trust. This is generally your best pick in
shopping online. If you’re not familiar with the name and reputation of a company–and especially if a seller
has sent you an unsolicited e-mail message ("spam")–find out more before you buy. With a click you can
check a company’s reputation by contacting the Better Business Bureau or the Office of the State Attorney
General in your state or the state where the seller is located which can be accessed through the National
Association of Attorneys General.
Also, consumers have the ability to search for our best picks of businesses that have qualified for the
BBBOnline Reliability and Privacy Seals.

Spam - How can you avoid "spam"?
Although many e-mails ask you to reply if you would like your name removed from the seller’s mailing list,
some experts have advised against responding. That’s because your e-mail address might then be sold to
others who wish to send you unsolicited commercial messages. A better way to deal with spam is to contact
your Internet service provider to complain about these messages and to ask whether they can be blocked.
Most of the major e-mail providers (Yahoo, MSN Hotmail, Google Gmail, etc.) provide spam blocker tools free
of charge. This is your best pick if receiving an inordinate of spam soliciting online shopping.

The Individual - Do you know the individual's reputation?
Some online auction sites offer "feedback" areas where customers discuss their experiences with a
particular person. It is best to pick both positive and negative comments to thoroughly read, keeping in mind
that with Ebay there is a hesitancy to leave negative comments as these often lead to negative retaliatory
comments towards the buyer.

The Address - Will the seller be at the same web address tomorrow?
With a physical store or a catalog, you know where to turn to if you run into problems. But in cyberspace, all
you may have is a web address. Look on the site for a street address and phone number. (Be wary if the
seller’s only contact information is a post office box.) Your most prudent action is to pick only the sellers with
whom you can contact by phone and conduct an actual conversation. This also gives you knowledge of their
professionalism and customer relations.

International Buying - Are you buying from someone located outside the U.S.?
Since it’s the World Wide Web, sellers might well be located in other countries. If so, you might not have the
same legal rights, or be able to enforce your rights as easily, as when the seller is located in the United
States.

Company Experience - Does it matter if the seller has experience selling the product?
The law generally gives you more protection when you buy an item from a seller who regularly sells those
items.

Authorized Seller - Is the company an authorized seller?
You may get better warranty service if you buy from an authorized seller. How do you know who’s authorized?
You can call the manufacturer of the product you’re interested in, or visit the manufacturer’s web site to check
if the operator of the site has been authorized to sell the manufacturer's product.

Electronic Agent - Shopping for the lowest price?
Some web sites offer an "electronic agent" to identify the sites that charge the lowest price for a specified
product. Be aware that some sellers have taken technological steps to block these "agents" from gathering
pricing data. In addition, "agent" sites might not take shipping costs or return/refund policies into account
when comparing the prices.

Still Selling - Is the seller still in business?
You might wish to telephone or send an e-mail to be sure the seller is still in operation, particularly if the web
site’s material appears to be old or out of date.

How secure is your transaction?

Secure Internet Connections
How do you tell if the Internet connections are secure?
Many web sites use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt the credit card information that you
send over the Internet. These sites usually inform you they are using this technology. Or, check if the web
address on the page that asks for your credit card information begins with "https:" instead of "http:"; if so, this
technology is in place.
A different security technology, which works on different principles, is Secure Electronic Transaction, or SET,
technology. SET or SSL technology are designed to make your connection secure.

Other ways to tell whether a web site uses security software:

Your browser displays the icon of a locked padlock at the bottom of the screen (Netscape Navigator™; -
versions 4.0 and higher);
You see the icon of an unbroken key at the bottom of the screen (earlier versions of Netscape Navigator™);
You see the icon of a lock on the status bar (Microsoft Internet Explorer®).

Phone-In Option
Would you rather give your credit card information over the phone?
Many web merchants allow you to order online and give your credit card information over the phone. If you’re
more comfortable with this option, make a note of the phone number, company, the date and time of your call,
and the name of the person who recorded your credit card number.
You should only give your password and credit card number in a secure connection on a web site, not in
ordinary e-mail. "Theft of identity," in which someone gets access to your bank account or gets credit cards or
loans in your name, is a growing problem, and you should carefully guard personal information that might
allow a thief to impersonate you.

Passwords
Do you use different passwords?
If you use a password to log on to your network or computer, use a different password for orders. Some web
sites may require you to create a password for future orders. You may want to create a special password for
particularly sensitive sites, such as your home banking site.
How did you choose your password?
The best passwords are not your address, birth date, phone number, or recognizable words. Choose a string
of at least five letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. One easy way to create a memorable password is to
take the first letter of each word in an expression or song lyric, and add some numbers and punctuation
marks. For example, "tmottobg!5" is derived in part from "Take Me Out To The Old Ball Game."

How should you record your password?
Don’t write down any password near your computer where someone could see it. If you do record it
somewhere, reverse the order of the characters or transpose some letters or numbers. That way, someone
finding it won’t have discovered your true password.

Who wants to know your password or other identifying information?
Be very careful about responding to an e-mail, phone call, fax, or letter from anyone who asks for your
password(s), social security number, birth date, bank account, credit card number, mother’s maiden name, or
other personal information. To verify that the person contacting you really does work for the seller, call and
request to speak to that person directly. Except for your password and credit card number, you should never
have to give any other information to place an order online.

And you should only give your password and credit card number in a secure connection on a web site, not in
ordinary e-mail. "Theft of identity," in which someone gets access to your bank account or gets credit cards or
loans in your name, is a growing problem, and you should carefully guard personal information that might
allow a thief to impersonate you.

Viruses

How can you avoid viruses?
If you receive an unsolicited commercial message, you should not open any attached file whose name ends
in ".exe." Clicking on such files could activate a computer virus that might affect the operation of your computer
and/or damage the information stored on your computer. You can also protect yourself against viruses carried
by e-mail or by computer files that you’ve received on a floppy disk, by purchasing and installing on your
computer or network a virus-protection program.

Shopping Tip List

Here’s a list of tips you should consult when shopping online. Print this page and keep it in a handy place
so it will be easy to review before you order.

Trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable buying or bidding on an item over the web, or if you feel
pressured to place your order immediately, maybe you shouldn’t.

Be knowledgeable about web-based auctions. Take special care to familiarize yourself not only with the
rules and policies of the auction site itself but with the legal terms (warranties, refund policy, etc.) of the
seller’s items that you wish to bid on.

Double check pricing. Whether the product is being sold as new or used, be suspicious of prices that are too
good to be true. Also consider carefully whether you may be paying too much for an item, particularly if you’re
bidding through an auction site. You may want to comparison shop, online or offline, before you buy.

Find and read the privacy policy. Read the privacy policy carefully to find out what information the seller is
gathering from you, how the information will be used, and how you can stop the process. If a site does not
have a privacy policy posted, you may not want to do business with that site. If it does have a privacy policy,
there will probably be a link to it from the seller’s home page, or it could be included with the Legal Terms.

Review the return, refund, and shipping and handling policies as well as the other legal terms. If you can’t
find them, ask the seller through an e-mail or telephone call to indicate where they are on the site or to provide
them to you in writing.

Check that the Internet connections are secure. Before you give your payment information, there are various
icons and software programs that indicate that security software is in place.

Use the safest way to pay on the Internet. Pay for your order using a credit card.

Print the terms. You should print out and date a copy of terms, conditions, warranties, item description,
company information, even confirming e-mails, and save them with your records of your purchase.

Insure the safe delivery of your item. If you’re concerned about the safety of your package if there’s no one
home to receive it, ask whether you can specify that the shipper must receive a signature before leaving the
package. Or, it may be safer to have the package delivered to your office.

Inspect your purchase. Look at your purchase carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact the seller as soon
as possible if you discover a problem with it. Tell the seller in writing about any problem that you are
concerned with, ask for a repair or refund, and keep a copy of your correspondence.

Provided by the Better Business Bureau