What are the dangers of Online Shopping
00:40
What are the dangers of buying online?
Buying online can be fast and convenient, and can enable the tenacious shopper to find some excellent bargains. Unfortunately, though, the internet also provides plenty of opportunity to scammers, hackers and thieves.
Here’s a summary of some of the main risks an online shopper faces, and some ideas as to how to minimise them.
1. Security / information theft
People who are wary of buying online frequently say that their main worry is that credit card information or other details that they provide in an online transaction will not be secure. Their concern is understandable, as the news media regularly carry stories of security breaches where people’s sensitive information is at risk of exposure.
So what measures can you take to protect yourself?
First, buy only from reputable sellers (either directly or via a reputable auction or re-sale site). If you’re not sure about a particular seller, you can check up on them by doing an online search. Your local trading standards office might also have some useful information.
Online auction sites or sites where people sell used goods will usually have a seller rating and feedback system, which makes it easy to evaluate a prospective seller when you make purchases on those types of websites.
Second, pay attention to security. When entering credit card or other payment information, the web page address (shown in your browser bar) should begin with “https” rather than just “http”, as the “s” indicates that information you send via the web page is encrypted. You should also look for the closed padlock symbol, which is usually at the bottom of your browser. If you click on the padlock, you should get information that confirms the identity of the seller. Note, however, that the padlock symbol can be counterfeited, so it’s not in itself an absolute guarantee of security.
After the transaction, you should check your credit card statement (either online or when you get the printed copy in the post) to ensure that online purchases are as you expect them to be.
As with all online activity, protect your computer with good and up to date security, anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
2. Problems with your purchase
What can you do if the goods you purchase are not what you expect or simply never arrive?
Probably one of the best ways you can use consumer law to protect yourself is to make your purchase with a credit card. Under the Consumer Credit Act, if you buy something for between 100 and 30,000, then the seller and the credit card issuer are jointly liable to you. This means that — in most cases — if there is a problem with the item you purchase (for instance, if it is not what you were promised or it is broken or defective, or if it never arrives) you can make a claim against the credit card issuer for a refund of what you paid.
That protection probably will not apply, though, if you make your credit card payment via an intermediary. To be certain of getting the protection, the payment should be made directly to the seller. In addition, the purchase price for the item in question needs to be at least 100 (and you cannot meet that requirement by combining the prices of several items that were each less than 100).
Protection under the Consumer Credit Act is not limited to online purchases — it also applies to purchases you make in shops.
Equally, the legal rights you would have if you purchased something in a shop also apply to purchases from a UK company online. This might include a contractual claim for breach of warranty, or the right to rescind a contract as a consequence of misrepresentation.
In addition, under the distance selling regulations, a buyer of certain types of goods will be entitled to cancel the contract during a cooling-off period (which is usually 7 days, but can be longer if the seller does not advise the buyer of the buyer’s right to a cooling-off period). The cooling-off period does not apply to some transactions, however, such as purchases in auctions or of sealed audio or video recordings or software that have been opened.
3. Scams
Scammers and con-men are constantly finding new ways to trick the unwary. One of the fundamental rules for identifying scams is that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
Most of the well-known auction and marketplace websites are vigilant in rooting out and eliminating scammers, but some manage to slip through the net. You should be particularly wary of sellers who request up-front payments against only nebulous promises to deliver goods.
For more information about online fraud and to report scams, visit the Action Fraud website.
Getting Help
If you’ve been the victim of a fraud, you can call Action Fraud for assistance. But if you believe you have a significant claim against a seller, it may be sensible to discuss the matter with a solicitor. You can find a solicitor who specialises in fraud and consumer law in your area through our solicitor’s directory.
0 comments