Some Often Asked Questions

How should I go about shopping for a big purchase in consumer electronics online?

It is important for you to figure out exactly what you are looking for. Try doing some research by looking for articles and consumer reviews on the web. Make a list of the features that you want and the specifications that are important. Then compare brands and prices. When you find the brand and model that you prefer, then search for the best price on that. Try doing some comparison shopping once you know the product you are looking for.

What's the difference between a credit card and a debit card?

A credit card is a card that lets a consumer access funds in a credit line set aside for that user. When the purchase is made, and settlement occurs, funds are drawn from the credit line and deposited to the merchant's account.

On the other hand, a debit card is a payment card whose funds are withdrawn directly from the cardholder's checking account. With an on-line debit card, the customer must enter a PIN to authorize payment at the time of sale (and the funds are settled through a debit network). In the case of off-line debit cards (generally with Visa or MasterCard logos) the customer signs a receipt, as would be the case in a credit card transaction. In this case, the funds are transferred after batch settlement.

Is it safe to order products online using my credit card or checking information?

When you make a purchase online, be sure to look for the little lock icon on the bottom of your web browser to make sure that you personal information will be protected by secure encryption when it is sent over the internet. You can also check on this by holding your cursor over the web page in question, clicking the right button on your mouse, and selecting “Properties”. Then look to see that the web address shown starts with “https”, where the ‘s’ denotes a secure web server.

Are there any disadvantages to ordering my prescriptions online?

If you’re like most people, you go to the same place to get your prescriptions filled. The local pharmacist has probably gotten to know you, and is familiar with the full regimen of medications that you are taking. It is the pharmacist’s job to notice any drugs that might react badly if taken together and protect you from dangerous drug interactions. While some online pharmacies have questionnaires for you to fill out that attempt to do the same job as your pharmacist, you just can’t be sure in most cases that they are looking out for you like your local pharmacist.

Are DVD and Movie Clubs the best deal for buying DVD’s online?

While the initial offering may be appealing, you really need to look at the entire deal they are offering. These types of clubs will often promise you something like 10 DVDs for free if you agree to join the club. One of the catches is that often times the shipping fee they charge for the ‘free’ DVDs is equal to, or greater than, the amount that you can purchase the same DVDs for in a regular store. These clubs will also get you to agree to let them send you their monthly special; if you don’t want it you can send it back, but do you really want to pay for return shipping and the time it takes to send it back every month? What usually happens is that consumers don’t send them back in time, and wind up being billed for the new DVDs. This is how they make their money. You should also take a look at their regular prices, since you have agreed to purchase additional items at the regular price. Do they disclose their prices AND their shipping and handling fees? Do they give you a customer support phone number, and an email address? These clubs are often not as good a deal as they would like you to believe, and they use hidden prices and methods to fool consumers, so look out.


Are the DVDs and movies that you buy online as good a quality as the ones from a store?

In some cases, especially with discount online retailers, the DVD or Video quality may not be as good as what you would get in a regular store. This depends entirely on the online dealer and their source of the DVDs. If they are a discount provider, the quality may be lacking. Make sure that the DVDs have a guarantee, and pay by credit card to protect yourself. If you pay by credit card and you get a bad DVD that they will not give you a refund on, you can have your credit card issuer reverse the charges. Make sure that you have the phone number of the seller in case you have any problems.

How can I check out an online lender?

One thing you can do is to check with your state government to see if the lender is licensed to sell mortgages in your state. Another thing is to search the web for complaints about your lender. To do this just search Google.com with the name of the lender and the word ‘complaint’ or ‘problem’.

Inside . . . 

Modern Day Bank Robbers - In the old days bank robbers used to come into a bank with a mask and a gun... Nowadays they can just use the Internet. Protect yourself with these helpful online shop safe FAQs.

Most Popular Comparison Shopping Websites 

Top 5 Shopping Comparison Shopping Websites
 

Google Product Search  Google's product search engine and shopping directory. Presents photographs of products and links to the stores that sell them online. Search by price range, and view thumbnail image results. http://www.google.com/products

Yahoo! Shopping Includes product information, price comparisons and merchant reviews. http://shopping.yahoo.com

mySimon.com  Compare listings of products right from the stores. http://www.mysimon.com/

Shopzilla  Shopping search offering price comparison, reviews and store ratings. http://www.shopzilla.com/

CNET Shopper  Product search, price comparison, reviews and tech specs. http://shopper.cnet.com/