Have you got access to The Internet, but are afraid to buy anything online?
Shopping online can be satisfying and can save you money.
It's easy, fun and best of all - it is safe.

Forget the hype that credit card scams will "rip you off".
The truth is that it's now one of the safest ways to shop - as long as you follow some simple guidelines.

What are the benefits of shopping online?
It reduces your stress. You don't have to go out shopping.
It saves the time taken to walk or drive to the shops.
You don't have to brave severe weather conditions.
You can shop in the comfort of your home or office, at any time of day or night, to suit you.
No need to traipse from shop to shop - get everything from one place - from Grocery, Fashion,
Cosmetics and Electrical goods to Holidays, Mortgages, Cars or House Hunting.

The Internet is also ideal for "embarrassing" items like condoms, pile cream or top-shelf magazines.
You don't have to queue - either in the car, for the bus or at the checkout.
Online shopping sites are dedicated to giving you good service.
They are designed to make it easy to shop because they want to keep you as a loyal customer.
You don't have to endure retail staff who don't really want to help you, or even be there.
Shop staff sometimes don't know enough about the product they're selling.
The Internet is full of information, to help you make a good choice.

Prices are normally very competitive on the Internet.
Delivery is often free, but even if you have to add on delivery costs most sites can afford to reduce the initial item price to get your custom.
You're less likely to "impulse" buy on the Internet - there's no pushy salesman there.
Online shopping is better for our environment - your fuel resources, savings from direct delivery etc.
But if you love shopping in the traditional way - then feel free to carry on doing it that way.

But beware of some web sites.
It's possible for web designers to create impressive looking web sites, which hide a bogus business.
Stick to reputable well-known retailers. If they have High Street stores they're likely to have reliable,
safe online shops with good customer service and comprehensive returns policies.
Stick to other well know specialist Internet stores - like tesco.com or lastminute.com who are very good.
Only buy from sites that provide contact details - name and address, and phone numbers.
To spot the dodgy sites, look at the design and content of their online shop before you buy from them.
If the pages are crudely designed, with unattractive colouring, flashy graphics and large text and you spot spelling mistakes, then it could be a bogus site. Don't touch it.

If you plan to spend a large sum of money online, phone up on the number given on the web site.
Ask any relevant question - you're just testing it's a real number and you're dealing with a genuine business.
If the person you speak to sounds hesitant or not professional, then again don't touch it.

Is Internet shopping Really secure?
Provided you don't get carried away, but follow a few basic rules you'll be safe.
Try to use just one credit card solely and specifically for online shopping. This lets you track every transaction.
Report it to your credit card company if you spot something odd on your account.
If you share a PC ensure you log out completely after shopping, and keep your passwords secret.
Most genuine online shops now protect your personal credit card data and don't "keep" your details.
Look for sites that have a little padlock inside the grey bar at the bottom right hand corner.
The padlock tells you that it is an SSL site (Secure Socket Layer) and any data you key in is encrypted.
Beware that some sites can forge this padlock. Get familiar with it, so you can be sure the site is genuine.
Some sites give you an option to confirm that you want to enter an unsecure zone.
Use your judgement - it may or may not be a safe site. If in doubt, don't risk it.

There are a number of web sites that do all the hard work of searching for safe shopping sites for you.
They list approved shops that have been tested and meet certain standards.
Sites like this include us at Armchair Shopping and ShopSafe (www.shopsafe.co.uk).
We've also listed some approved online shopping sites that present a selection of good sites for you here.

Articles about safer shopping....

Is safer e-shopping on the cards? Madeline Bennett, IT Week - read article

Good practices when shopping online - read article