Shopping online for your babyShopping online for your baby is a very attractive proposition when you are pregnant or have a little one in tow. There is no journey to make, parking to pay for or boxes to carry but is it safe? Are there pitfalls? Shopping online ought to be infinitely safer than giving your details over the phone, by email or by fax but you should always check that the website you are proposing to buy from is exhibiting a digital security certificate from a recognised global certification authority, for example www.thawte.com. A digital certificate verifies the identity of the site so you can be confident that they are who they say they are. When you enter your card details at the checkout, ensure the page you are on has an https: address in the browser rather than just http. The 's' stands for security and you should also see the padlock icon on the page. This indicates that the data you are about to enter will be encrypted and unreadable by anybody other than the intended recipient. Try also to use only sites that use the new Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode systems which protect your card with a personal password while you are shopping online. These work like an additional pin number and prevent anybody who has stolen your card or your card details from placing transactions online. Check too that terms and conditions (especially relating to delivery, returns, refunds and guarantee periods) are clearly displayed and fair and never buy from a site which does not give its full business name, address, email and telephone number. Avoid those that do not give customer service details. Plenty of online nursery retailers (including some household names!) advertise goods for sale that they don't actually have in stock or can't deliver for weeks. This is critical if, for instance, you need a new child car seat to take on holiday at the end of next week. Another trick is to attract you with low prices without making it clear that the goods offered are the previous year's stock. If you have any doubts, email or phone your chosen retailer to check before placing your order. If they don't answer the phone or reply to your email within 1 working day don't give them your business. You can be sure that if you have a problem later on they won't be interested in helping you! Where to next? |
