online shopping red flags in ecommerce

9.3.2012

Here is a list of thighs you should be check for before you order from an online store:

Physical address, and full contact information:

If a website that you would like to order from does not have a physical address in the contact info section, but just a contact form, DO NOT order here! It's most likely somebodies side business, where you have no grantee that this site is still operating, and if something goes wrong... might take a while till you get an answer. Again, this is just the first red flag, and most likely there more things wrong under the hood, which you do not see. If somebody is not brave enough to put their own address on the site, maybe he is scared that you show up at his door, if your item never gets delivered, or you get something else than you ordered.

Don't order from non US online stores

The ecommerce world is enough of a wild west even in an country that in general has more honest people than the other ones, so don't increase your risks of being ripped off!

PayPal only payments

Another big red flag: this means that the owner was so cheap that they did not even want to pay to get regular ecommerce store front set up (which is not that expensive), or even worse, the person is not in the US.

No SSL in checkout

This is not really the issue that you would be exposed to identity theft while processing you credit card, but again, most likely the owner does not even have a business set up, so they could not register the SSL, or they were really cheap to do so. Either way, this is not somebody you should order from.

Final advice: When ever I see any of these red flags, I usually run away, but there are cases when this might be the only place to buy something, so don't be lazy, and just pick up the phone, and make a phone call instead. Ask questions about name, location, delivery, and the product, and if you still feel comfortable then google the name of the store, and the phone number for any "SCAM" keywords, make the order.