The following are a few online buying tips that may help to make your online shopping experience pleasant and trouble-free.

• Make sure that the merchant is located in a country where merchants are generally trustworthy. Look for contact information that indicates where the merchant is located. While this does not guarantee that the merchant is actually located in a specified country, the absence of contact information can be suspicious. All of the merchants found on this site have locations in the USA.
• Spend a few minutes reading a merchant’s policies regarding shipping methods, shipping fees and product returns. This may help to prevent surprises during the ordering process.
• Confirm that the price you see on a product or service page is the same as the price you see in a shopping cart and on an order summary. Print copies of the order summary and order confirmation pages as a record of your transaction. Keep copies of any receipts or confirmations offered by the merchant. If an unresolvable dispute arises, you will need proof to send to your credit card company.
• Make sure that any page that requires you to enter personal information such as your credit card number is using encryption to protect your information as it is transmitted on the Internet. SSL (secure sockets layer) is the most popular form of encryption. If a browser is in encryption mode, there is an indicator that displays in the status bar near the bottom of the browser window. Internet Explorer, FireFox, Mozilla and Netscape display a closed padlock in the lower right-hand corner of the browser window when in encrypted mode. Also look for the "https://" protocol indicator in the URL for the Web page.
• Trust is a mutual issue between an online buyer and a seller. Make sure that you give a merchant accurate billing and shipping information. Don’t guess about information like this because fraud detection systems used by many online merchants may delay your order or prevent it from shipping. A merchant may ask for a telephone number or an e-mail address. That is for your protection as well as for theirs. If anything about an order looks suspicious, the merchant may contact you to verify that you did indeed use your credit card to place the order. Giving a merchant a phoney telephone number or e-mail address could result in the cancellation of your order if a merchant cannot contact you when a question arises.
• It is usually a good idea to keep a secondary e-mail address to use for online orders if you are concerned about receiving spam. While the vast majority of online merchants wish to build and maintain your trust, there are always a few that push the limits and start sending excessive numbers of follow-up offers via e-mail. Some merchants allow you to opt-out of any future promotional mailings as you complete the ordering process. Also, be aware that the use of a free e-mail address such as one from HotMail, GMail or Yahoo may delay your order. Most fraudulent orders are placed using untraceable free e-mail addresses and therefore your order may be held for further scrutiny.
• Read everything on a Web page during the checkout process and make sure that you are not accidentally agreeing to participate in receiving promotional materials from "partners" unless you wish to do so. References to terms like "sharing information with partners" or "associated merchants" frequently means that you are giving the merchant permission to sell your e-mail address. If in doubt, opt out of these types of programs.
• Make sure that you do not accidentally agree to participate in a "Rewards Program" or "Reservation Rewards" program or something that may sound like a free benefit, but may actually result is an additional billing on your credit card. Even some very large and reputable online merchants are starting to try to slip these types of programs into an order, and it may result in a surprise charge to your credit card. Legitimate clubs and membership programs typically result in a one-time or an annual fee, but these programs would normally include a member discount on future purchases. Membership programs may only produce a real benefit for someone who is a repeat purchaser. The basic rule should always be to pay attention to the text next to check boxes to avoid accidentally opting-in to a program that you may not wish to participate in.
• Contact the merchant immediately if a product arrives damaged or the wrong product is shipped. Have your order number ready when you call. Some merchants will send a return label and paperwork with a shipment in order to simplify the return process. From our viewpoint, there are two tests of a quality merchant. The first test requires them to get it right the first time. The second test is whether or not they can resolve mistakes or issues that may arise quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction.
• Challenge any charges that do not match your records or receipts. This should start with a call or e-mail to the merchant’s customer service department immediately upon discovering an incorrect charge.
• If the merchant does not resolve a billing issue to your satisfaction, contact your credit card company as soon as is possible. You will likely have to document your claim in writing. This is the point where you will be glad if you printed the order summary and order confirmation pages.