Tips for buying online

Listed below are some basic tips and information for those shopping from home either by post, telephone or the Internet.

Some things you should always consider before buying from home are,

• Check for any hidden credit card surcharges (a common practice in the travel business).
• When entering your payment details, maConke sure the browser is transmitting the data with encryption. In Internet Explorer a small "lock" icon should appear next to the URL address box.
• Always shop around to make sure the product is not priced lower somewhere else.
  
• Know who you are buying from, be wary of traders using only a PO box number as their contact address. Write down the trader's full address, email and telephone number.
• Keep records of all corespondents with your seller.
• Check Google shopping and other reviews sites for customer feedback on the retailer.
• If you have the Google toolbar installed, check the pagerank of the retailer's website. If the retailer's website has no pagerank, it may warrant a further examination of the retailer to make sure it is not bogus.