PURCHASING AND E-COMMERCE MANAGER
Today, when the internet has become an indispensable part of our lives, we can now easily find and buy all kinds of products and services online. However, regardless of how widespread online shopping has become, there are still many people who have not experienced this yet. Among the reasons of this, lies that the purchased product does not match with the advertised version, hesitations about the quality of the product, and above all, online shopping being considered as not secure by many consumers. So, is it really inconvenient or insecure to shop online, as it is thought? Online shopping not only offers great price advantages compared to physical stores, but also brings the product to your feet. As long as you pay attention to a few points, online shopping is quite secure.
What should be taken into account when shopping online?
• Research should be made about the website, and user reviews should be analyzed.
• The first question that comes to mind when shopping online is “Will my credit card information be transfered to someone else?” – If the e-commerce platform you are shopping on has an SSL Certificate, your data is encrypted and transferred to the server. Therefore, your important data such as credit card information is protected against 3rd parties. In other words, your information is transmitted to your bank with a special encryption system and the transaction is completed securely. Therefore, using 128bit or 256bit SSL encryption systems on e-commerce sites is very important, particularly on the pages where payments are made. The address bar should include https://. Virtual pos applications by the websites that do not have an SSL security certificate are rejected by the banks. However, payment can still be made without any SSL encryption system. Therefore, shopping from a website that does not have an SSL encryption system should be avoided.
• It should be noted that the payment for the purchases made from the website is made with 3D Secure security application. In addition, it is recommended to use a virtual credit card when shopping from e-commerce platforms.
• Virtual credit card is the most secure banking product that you can use when shopping online. Because, the virtual credit card is a credit card that is limited to the limit of your existing credit card, has a different number and is not physical. You can set or reset this limit when you are not using it. Therefore, even if your information is stolen, no one but you can know the information of your physical credit card and no transaction can be made unbeknown to you.
• The service agreements of the E-Commerce site should be read carefully, and it should be noted that the consumer rights as well as the delivery-refund-warranty-withdrawal conditions offered by the platform, and the actions that can be taken in case of disputes are clearly stated.
• No e-commerce site needs your credit card password during shopping. You should avoid shopping sites that ask for your credit card password.
• Attention should be paid to contact addresses and phone numbers. It should be noted and confirmed that the company address/phone is available on the website, and the address should be confirmed via Google earth/maps or other tools. Avoid shopping from e-commerce sites that do not contain these features. In particular, keep away from the websites whose contact numbers are only mobile phone numbers.
If the e-commerce platform you are shopping on has an SSL Certificate, your data is encrypted and transferred to the server. Therefore, your important data such as credit card information is protected against 3rd parties.
