Guide to Shopping Online Safely

• 0% Balance Transfer Cards
• 0% Purchase Cards
• 0% Balance Transfer and Purchase Cards
• Cashback Cards
• Long Term/ Life of Balance Transfer
• Low Standard Rate Cards
• Loyalty Reward Cards

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
Capital One BT Exclusive	0%	Until 01/10/2009	3.0%	15.9%
Virgin Credit Card	0%	15 mths	2.98%	15.9%
Capital One Platinum	0%	Until 01/09/2009	3.0%	12.9%
Egg Card	0%	Until 01/09/2009	3.0%	16.9%
Barclaycard Platinum 'As on TV'	0%	14 mths	2.9%	14.9%

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
Capital One Platinum	0%	Until 01/09/2009	12.9%
Capital One Platinum Exclusive	0%	Until 01/05/2009	11.9%
Halifax One Online Special	0%	10 mths	15.9%
Bank of Scotland	0%	10 mths	15.9%
Barclaycard Life of Balance	0%	10 mths	15.9%

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
Capital One Platinum	Until 01/09/2009	Until 01/09/2009	12.9%
Capital One Platinum Exclusive	Until 01/05/2009	Until 01/05/2009	11.9%
Halifax One Online Special	10 mths	10 mths	15.9%
Bank of Scotland	10 mths	10 mths	15.9%
Capital One BT Exclusive	Until 01/10/2008	Until 01/10/2009	15.9%

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
American Express Platinum	5% Moneyback for 3 months, up to 1.5% thereafter
Capital One Cashback	4% rebate until 01/09/08 on purchases, 1% thereafter
Shell MasterCard - Citi	3% rebate on Shell fuel spend, 1% on other purchases
Barclaycard Cashback	4% Cashback until 31/07/08, 0.5% until 01/01/10

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
Barclaycard Life of Balance	6.5%	15.9%	Life of Balance

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
Barclaycard Low Rate Special	8.8%	56
Capital One Platinum Exclusive	11.9%	56

Card	Rate	Duration	BT Fee	Typical APR
MBNA Platinum Rewards Card	1 point for every £1.00 spent

However, it is misplaced confidence? Turkeys may not be the only thing stuffed this Christmas as retailers teeter on the brink of collapse after offering large discounts for the last quarter. With this in mind, making online purchases safely has never been more important.

Today it is estimated 9 out of 10 people regularly shop online but Internet purchases are set to increase by roughly 130% over the next five years. Our checklist will help you shop safely not just this Christmas but in the years to come.

1. Shop online with a credit card

Buying online can sometimes be something of a gamble and until it arrives you can’t be sure it fits, works or looks anything like the product you ordered. Other times, your purchase doesn’t arrive at all.

Thanks to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you are unhappy with your online purchase, the credit card company is “jointly and severally” liable with the retailer. Your credit card company will uphold liability for any purchase between £100 and £30,000.

If your purchase fails to arrive or is faulty on receipt you should make a request for a refund directly with the seller. If on the other hand the company refuses to give you the money back or has even gone bust, you can reclaim your money from the credit card provider.

This rule also extends to overseas companies, which is great news for shoppers who regularly use the Internet.

While shopping online is safest with a credit card, making a PayPal transaction does entail a certain amount of risk. If you have used this payment system to make a purchase online, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act will not support your request for a refund. Instead you should follow PayPal’s own dispute process.

For more reasons why people use credit cards, click here

2. Use Extended Warranty Credit Cards

Most electrical goods come with a warranty in the event you need to have them repaired, however, non-electrical purchases may not be covered. Using a credit card may mean you get theft or damage protection as well as extended warranty on a wide range of goods, not just electrical.

The following credit card providers offer some form of purchase protection that could save you money:

American Express, Barclaycard, Capital One, Citi, Co-op, Egg, MBNA, Nationwide, Post Office and Virgin.

3. Does Your Credit Card Have Internet Guarantee?

While somewhat rare, transactions online can be subject to fraud. If a regular online shopper, a credit card provider that offers you Internet guarantee would serve your best interests.

Internet guarantee is cover against fraudulent activity during the course of an online transaction. The terms and conditions of the protection can vary

between issuers so make sure you get the comprehensive cover you need.

Credit card providers who do not offer internet guarantee protection, at time of writing, include: Bank of Ireland, Clydesdale, Co-op, Coutts, First Trust, GE, Nationwide, Northern Bank, Smile, Ulster Bank, Yorkshire Bank and Yorkshire Building Society.

4. Avoid Using Debit Cards If Possible.

Unless your debit card provider is Mastercard or Visa, it is unlikely your issuer will offer Internet protection, purchase protection or extended warranties.

Furthermore, because transactions made using a debit card are not a credit arrangement, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act does not apply. All of this means you are at the mercy of the seller should you demand your money back.

Some banks, however, do offer a process that disputed debit card purchases can follow. Those banks, at time of writing, include: Abbey, Co-op, Smile, Coventry Building Society, Halifax/Bank of Scotland and Nationwide.

5. Use Anti-Virus Software

With so many viruses affecting even home PCs, it’s important you have the latest anti-virus software installed on your computer. It’s also advisable that you use the most up-to-date web browser and that your personal “firewall” is intact.

If you share your computer, or shop online at work, always log out after shopping online.

6. Check The Seller’s Credentials

There are three things to look for in order to ensure that the company you are buying form is kosher. You know the company’s web address, but does it also have a geographical address? Plus, look out for a landline phone number and try calling; it’s a simple but effective way of reducing the risk of Internet fraud.

Never assume that an Internet company is based in Britain just because its web address ends with ‘co.uk’. Returning items or getting a refund may be more difficult with overseas companies, so if you want to ensure your seller is based in Britain, you should follow the advice above.

7. Terms And Conditions

The price is right and you can’t wait to enter your card details and make that purchase, but hold on a moment…have your checked the terms and conditions? Yes, they are boring but when buying online they are a must read.

Every online retailer should have terms and conditions clearly laid out on their website. You should be looking for details on payments, delivery and any cancellation charges etc. What we order online often looks very different from what we receive, and it if it’s clothing you definitely stand the chance of returning your purchase. So again, check the terms and conditions.

8. Website Security

Before you make an online transaction check to see that the website you are buying from is secure. A padlock icon is typically displayed somewhere at the bottom of your screen to indicate that the seller has made all attempts at securing your details. Also check that the “http” web prefix has changed to “https” – the additional “s” stands for secure.

9. Register Your Credit Cards

For extra peace of mind consider registering your credit card with “Verified by Visa” or “Mastercard SecureCode”.

Either of the above programmes will ask you to verify an additional password to help prevent it being misused. Visa or Mastercard will also provide you with a code to confirm that the credit card company knows the firm you are dealing with.

10. Keep Paperwork

When you make an online purchase, you will usually receive a confirmation email or be presented with a screen detailing your order. Always print off record of your transaction in case you need to raise a dispute at a later date.

Have any other secuirity tips for shopping online? Please post them in our Forum by clicking here.