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Providing a "wider choice" for your shopping convenience!
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Merchant Web Site CONSUMER PROTECTION Scoring
Consumers should be aware of and review merchant web sites for the following four(4)
online protections needed by consumers when shopping online:
#1 - Is Secure Socket Layer(SSL) Protection used to protect Credit Card information?
(Purpose: SSL Encryption is a method of encoding information when transmitted over the internet that
private information unreadable.)
#2 - Are they enrolled in Industry Oversight Programs, i.e.- Trust Mark or Trust Seal?
(Purpose: Merchant Web Sites are tested for security to see if they are Hacker Proof so that your
private information cannot be stolen.)
#3 - Have they posted Acceptable Privacy Policy regarding use of your information?
(Purpose: Privacy Policies explain how a merchant will use your private information collected during
a purchase.)
#4 - Have they posted Comprehensive Contact Information if a shopper has problems?
Purpose: Never purchase from a merchant if you cannot contact them in some way if you have problems
with the product.)
If a merchant store has implemented all four areas of consumer protection - you will be well protected if buying on that site.
If a merchant store has NOT implemented the protections:
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#1 The most important area of protection when buying, you will see 'HTTPS' in the address line. If not, THIS IS NOT a Secure Site.
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If this Protection is NOT Found - You are in danger of someone stealing your credit card information.
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#2 area of protection is Oversight Protection.
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If NO Oversight Protection is found - This site has a potential of being open to Hackers.
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#3 Is a potential Loss of Information Risk.
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If NO Privacy Policy is Found, Your information is at Risk of being imporperly used.
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#4 This area of protection is the Merchant Contact Info. is Incomplete.
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There is NOT Enough Contact Info. - If you want to return a product, where are they?
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Overall, you will find that MOST Merchants do take the necessary precautions to insure consumer protections, however,
it just takes that one bad one to really make shopping online an unbearable mistake!
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