A Gift-Giver’s Guide to Shopping Online

November 1, 2011
by
Amy Hebert
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Shopping Online InfographicNo need to wait for the turkey to be polished off – or the football games to be over – to start shopping online for the best holiday gifts. Take a few minutes before Thanksgiving to check out OnGuardOnline.gov’s tips for comparing products online and staying secure through checkout.

On the theory that every day can be Cyber Monday (or that every day’s a good day to hunt for deals), here’s a sneak preview of how you can get the biggest bang for your gift-giving budget:       

  • Use search engines strategically. Search for a product with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.”
  • Read online reviews. They can give you an idea how a product performs. Read more than one.
  • Check shopping comparison sites. You can view the price of a product at several online stores – just keep shipping costs in mind.
  • Consider coupons. Do a search with terms like “discount,” “coupon,” or “free shipping.”
  • Check for a secure checkout. Make sure the website address start with https (the “s” is for secure) when you’re checking out and entering your personal and account information.
Tagged with: buying, gift, holiday, shopping
Blog Topic: Avoid Scams, Be Smart Online

Comments

hjaCostales1 | November 1, 2011
|

I'M TRYING TO BE SAFE ON LINE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND CAPTCHA SESSION REUSE ATTACK DETECTED.

Nicole Vincent | November 1, 2011
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Hi, hjaCostoles1, we're looking into the CAPTCHA error message you received and hope to have it resolved shortly.

madelineb | November 1, 2011
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thanks for all the info on keeping your personal computer safe, whether shopping, e-mail, or for parents and also seniors. thank you

karen | November 6, 2011
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hope this works out for the fAMILY

karen cartier | November 6, 2011
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hopes my family understands

Don't use your ... | April 7, 2012
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i just want to have my privacy back i dont want people miss whit my phone or labtop

Scott Lewis | May 15, 2012
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I think your last tip regarding the https is probably the most critical. That along with keeping your anti-virus program up to date and security patches for your Windows operating system up to date.

Excellent article ... very straightforward and easy to understand. Great job!

HOME BASED BUSINESS | May 16, 2012
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Majority of people prefer to use the internet for banking and other financial services than shopping online, shows a new survey. When you buy a product over the internet it is called online shopping. Thanks for the great blog! ^_^

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