A few years ago, shopping online was like the wild, wild west, reserved for those with grit and adventure. Why not? With so few companies selling online, who had a time when they could shop at “brick and mortar” stores? This left a new frontier for individuals seeking exotic products like Persian rugs, rare books, and other treasures. Years ago, if you said you shopped online and gave your credit card information to anonymous customer care personnel, people assumed you had bad credit.

Online shopping has expanded beyond Persian rugs. College students, grandmothers, teachers, dancers, and even rug rats as young as 7 may navigate and shop online with ease. Knowing what to do and what not to do will ensure a fantastic online buying experience.

Rules to Keep You on the Right Track While Navigating the Web

Be a Smart Shopper.

• Before making a purchase, familiarize yourself with the website. In the event that you’ve never heard of the store, look for someone who has. To get in touch with us, use the phone number indicated under the heading “Contact Us”. See if any complaints have been filed against the company on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
• Take steps to keep your personal information private. If someone emails you and asks for personal information, don’t give it out. When you visit a website and are prompted to provide your email address, it’s not uncommon to receive fraudulent emails asking for further information like your credit card account number just days later (sometimes even sooner). It’s all a ploy to trick you. From your registration at their site, they may be able to make you believe that you’ve previously done business with them.
• Only place online orders on secure web servers. These URLs always begin with https, whereas unsecured URLs begin with http. When shopping online, make it a habit to look for sites whose addresses begin with this. These sites may also be identified by a small lock in the lower right corner of your computer screen, depending on your web browser. This lock should never be opened; it should always be closed.
• Avoid using obvious passwords. Try not to use the same password on multiple websites. One of the most important aspects of keeping your online information out of the hands of others is to keep them guessing. If your nickname is Tigger, it’s not only easy for you to remember, but it’s also fairly simple for others to figure out.

Learn what your rights are.

• If you can, use the same way to pay for all of your online purchases. This will make it easier for you when you get the statement. This makes it easy to tell the difference between authorized and unauthorized payments.
• Find out how the company handles returns and refunds. You might not want to do a lot of business with an online store that only gives store credit for returns. This is especially true if you thought you were buying an Oriental rug for the living room, but it turned out to be a rug better suited for a child’s room.
• Before you click “I read and agree,” take a minute or two to carefully read the small print. There is a reason why the company puts these restrictions in small print.
• Don’t assume that a delivery date of 3–5 days is the norm in business. Most sites charge more for express shipping than for regular UPS shipping. Before you place an order, read the shipping policy.
• Find out what kind of guarantees come with the products you buy from the site. Most online stores that sell appliances and electronics are happy to sell you their extended warranty. Do you really need it? Find out what the manufacturer’s warranty covers, and then decide if that’s enough protection.

Let’s Strike a Deal

• There’s no reason not to compare prices when it only takes a few mouse clicks to do so. If you know what the other sellers are offering, you are much more likely to get the best deal. If asked, many sites will match or beat the best price of their competitors.
• Look out for hidden fees. Most of the shipping and handling fees that online shopping sites charge are made up of these costs. Check to see if these prices seem fair for the item you want to buy.
• For holidays like Mother’s Day, Christmas, and birthdays, you should place your order early. It’s a special day, and getting the item on time will help keep it special.

Be sure you know where you’ve been.

• Keep track of the dates, how much you spent, and what you bought from the sites you’ve been to.
• Keep all the website pages and online receipts you print out. This will make it much easier to make sure that what you get matches what you ordered online.

But the most essential thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t take any chances with a website for online shopping if you get the impression that it could not be completely trustworthy. It is surely not worth putting your good reputation and credit on the line to find out for sure whether they are selling bamboo carpets or Waterford crystal.