:Forest Folk

Shopping on the internet has become what would seem to be a national past-time, and is wonderful for the consumer - it’s never been easier to shop. Also, the increase in competition incorporated with the cost-effectiveness with selling online has ensured low selling prices for items.

Nevertheless, as the e-commerce landscape has grown, so too has the necessity to be conscious of your consumer protection rights, and what you should do if you are in receipt of faulty items or goods that you paid for but didn’t actually get. Information is made public on the web, such as the consumer protection act 1987.

You also need to be aware of which payment provider to use to buy something, as each payment provider has its own terms. . Doing your research can stop you getting ripped off by internet fraud.

Our word to the wise is to do your research about the seller : do they publish their phone number and postal address? What is the seller’s terms and conditions? Their returns policy? Their privacy policy? All these queries must be answered prior to considering buying from the vendor.

Another very important point to consider: what are the methods of purchase? In 2009, it’s not enough to merely look for “the padlock” (SSL certificate) - this won’t inform you how they keep your information, only how it’s sent when you make your purchase. If you have doubts, only buy from sellers who use third party payment providers such as Google Checkout, PayPal, SagePay, NoChex and WorldPay.Also you can see what reputation the seller has with his payment provider, e.g. check his PayPal account and how many orders have taken place on this particular account.