Safe Online Shopping Tips
Shopping online can be a great way to snag a bargain, get free shipping, and save you a trip to the mall. But along with the convenience of shopping at home in your pajamas and slippers comes some risk. Review the following safe online shopping tips below.
Know the merchant: If you recognize the merchant you are shopping with from a brick & mortar store chances are that their name is recognizable for a reason and your online shopping experience with them is safe. If you have never heard of the site be extra cautious and check them out thoroughly.
Check the websites privacy policy: Just about every website collects private information from you. From your IP address, email address, to your credit card information depending on what information they collect. Before you give them any of your personal information check out the websites privacy policy. This can usually be found in the footer (the bottom) of most sites pages, but you may need to search around for it if it is not located there. If you find a privacy policy, read it and make sure you understand and agree with what the company says that they will or can do with your information before you give them your personal info. If you cannot find a privacy policy, skip this merchant, plain and simple. No reputable online merchant would be caught dead without a privacy policy.
Search the website name in a any popular search engine: Open up a new window or tab in your browser and go to your favorite search engine (like Google or Yahoo) and search for the companies name. See what comes up in the search results. Look a few pages deep to see what comes up. I once “Googled” a company and found scads of horrible consumer reviews which prevented me from being scammed like hundreds of others had been. If everything checks out in your search proceed to the next step.
Check the URL: Are you about to give this online merchant your credit card number to make a purchase. Check out the URL in the address bar to make sure that it is secure.
What you are looking for:
A URL that looks like this: [https://site-name.com] (the ‘s’ after the http means secure)
Avoid giving financial information to any site with out the ‘s’ after the http in the URL.
Look for contact information: All legitimate online merchants will have a working phone number where you can speak to a live operator (you may need to wait a while to get one but eventually you can get one). Find the companies phone number and give it a call. That bad merchant I mentioned above that I got bad search result hits, well turns out that company had a phone number listed on their website but when you called it you got a recording that all “customer service” was done online only. Big red flag right there!
Check out shipping and return policies: You are just about there and ready to buy. But stop and take a moment to review the merchants shipping and return policies so that you are aware of the policy before you order. Again this information can usually be found in the footer of the site.
Don’t share: We are all taught from a young age that we must share. “Share your toys with your brother.” When it comes to online shopping though, sharing is not a good thing. Public computers (such as at the library), computers on a network (like at work), or using a shared wireless connection (like at Starbucks) can all be instances where your personal information can be shared with those that you don’t want to share it with. So wait to do your online shopping when you are at home, using your own computer, on a connection that you are sure is secure.
Pay with a credit card: OK so you have checked out the site fully using all the above tips and so far so good, everything checks out. So now you are ready to make that purchase (after all you must get in on that 50% offer with free shipping!) So how do you pay? Financial experts all agree that a credit card is the way to go. Why a credit card and not your bank card? Because most credit cards have protection on them in case your get scammed or ripped off. On the other hand your bank card takes the money right from your bank account and it can take months to settle a dispute, if you can settle it at all. This is a lengthy process, something I have gone through myself and the outcome was not pretty. No credit card? Some card companies such as Discover Card, Bank of America and Citi offer a secure online account number service, a virtual credit card or virtual account number.
Online shopping can be a lot of fun and a great way to save money and time, but please be safe!
The auto insurance industry is fast changing and evolving. There are many driving forces, pushing this change forward at a faster and faster rate. One of those forces is the innovation and progress in information technologies that just do not seem to be letting up, at all, in terms of efficiency, productivity, and the scale and volume of revenue that these improvements help auto insurance companies realize.
Orange Costume Jewelry
Just like any precious stone, Orange costume jewelry creates a following among women who aim attention on enhancing their look by accentuating their dress with pieces of jewelry. Most women love diamonds as they are timeless and magnificent. Other than that, any costume accessory makes them a standout in any occasion there is to attend. Simple wardrobes become highly sophisticated with belts, brooches and accessories.
Orange costume jewelry fits the elegance of a black or earth-toned dress. Anything dark complements the flashy color of this accentuating piece. Orange and yellow rhinestones, for instance, can stand out when worn around your neck. They would look best when your dress has a rounded neck so that they can stand out from afar. Of either vintage or modern designs, your piece of jewelry brings out more beauty than how you can when dressing down.
A woman’s wardrobe won’t be complete if no Orange Costume jewelry is worn around her wrist or neck. It may be a luxurious thing to get into but as long as you can afford a piece of jewelry, it’s definitely no question. Jewelries are meant to give justice to your fashionable sense. It flaunts who you are as a person and how you can be more edgy with earrings, neckpieces, bracelets, anklets, bangles and pendants. There is a wide array to choose among, and it’s your choice to pick the best that satisfies your type of pieces.
The bright orange costume jewelry doesn’t fail to wow any wearer and beholder. Some of the popular orange pieces are vintage necklace made of coral pearl, Bakelite Era plastic honey necklace, ceramic tile vintage for men’s ties, confetti Lucite large apple pendant, Coro Faux pearl and coral vintage clip earrings, creamy pale orange Lucite open rose brooch vintage, enamel butterfly brooch, enameled necklace vintage, Les Bernard rhinestone roadrunner vintage brooch, and orange rhinestone tree vintage brooch. These are mostly picked by mature and business-minded women.
Gemstones, diamonds, Mother of Pearl, Swarovski and crystals are appealing to jewelry fanatics especially women who frequently attend functions and cocktail parties. Orange Costume Jewelry has continuously been followed by couples who think of giving gifts to their spouses on birthdays and anniversaries.
Valentine’s Day is a peak season for jewelers. Men buy beautifully packed Orange Costume Jewelry to please their beloved women on Love Day. There are numerous online shops offering preciously made jewelry pieces that fit the taste of every woman of the earth. Vintage, modern, minimalist and diamond-embedded jewelries are among the best-sellers. Brooches have also been popular to give a sophisticated touch to a simply designed dress or top. Dress yourself up during the most celebrated day of your life, your friend’s wedding day or your very own big day.