Online shopping scams

Watch out when shopping online

In a typical e-commerce scam, you never get the product you ordered and paid for, or you receive the wrong product instead. Another problem often is that the company does not respond to complaints, or it no longer operates. In yet another type of scam, the seller sends you a product even if you have only filled in your personal data and address, not clicked on the order button.

The most important thing in online shopping is to find a vendor you can trust. Pay attention to the following

• does the company clearly state on their website their name, street address and telephone number in addition to their e-mail address?
• remember that you cannot tell in which country the company is located based on its web address
• search for information about the vendor by typing the company’s name in a search engine – you can find information about other people’s purchasing experiences on message boards and similar
• the testimonials on the online shop’s website may have been made up

 

Checklist for online shopping

• An offer that sounds too good may be a scam.
• Be cautious about online shops that do not volunteer to provide all the necessary contact details. You should never trade with a company that only provides an e-mail address or a contact form!
• To find out about other people’s experiences of the company, type the online store’s name in a search engine.
• Do not place an order unless you have read or understood the terms of delivery.
• In particular, you should check if you are placing a one-off order or committing to a standing order.
• Use a credit card to pay. If there is a problem, you can always also ask the creditor to refund you.