The Thursday after Thanksgiving officially opened the last holiday shopping season of this millennium. Some people live for that face-to-face interaction we call shopping. Since the dawn of time that is all we’ve ever had, besides mail-order catalogs. Although the shopping phenomenon we call malls is new to the last half of this century there is now a new kid on the block and it is a virtual super-mall filled with virtual values.

No longer do just the people that live in the northeastern portion of the United States get to be the only ones that are able to shop at places like Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s department stores. Typically you can just type the name of the store into your browser and the usual http:// and dot com (.com) before and after the name and like magic you’re transported there. No crowded stores, no long lines.

Last year was officially the first major cybercommerce shopping season but in one short year E-commerce has really come on-line (excuse the pun). And although there has been extraordinary growth in on-line shopping this past year it is still only a scratch on the surface of total retail sales… but it is growing, exponentially.

One of the reasons, I believe, that on-line shopping hasn’t come of age is the fear by most people of giving their credit card information over the Internet. Yet, these same people will hand that same credit card to some person in a restaurant or retail store whom they have never met before and think nothing of it. Now does that make sense? Secure shopping on-line is a breeze if you know what to look for and you use common sense.

• Look for and read the website’s privacy statement. Make sure you are aware of how your information will be used.
• Look for what the Internet calls Trustmarks, or indications that the site is being monitored by an outside agency such as the Better Business Bureau.
• Always use a credit card and place your orders through secure servers. Most sites alert you when you are about to enter a secure server but to be sure the web address usually changes to https rather than just http once you have entered the secure side. In most cases there is also a lock or key visible in the status bar at the bottom of the browser. Remember, if you use a credit card and there is a problem you will be able to contest the charges and under federal law you are only ever liable for $50 if your credit card information is misused. (This is always the part that gets to the people who are skeptical about purchasing over the Internet. But if you think about it, and have done the above, you should feel more secure than physically giving the credit card to someone you’ve never met before.)
• And, as I mentioned before, use common sense. Don’t give out any information you wouldn’t disclose over the phone or in person. You have the ability to feel as secure as you want by reading and understanding the web site’s privacy and security practices before you make your purchases.

One last thing to think about when shopping on-line during this holiday season is to make sure you check out the deadline for ordering to guarantee a delivery in time. Although the purchasing is done electronically they still haven’t found a way to beam the gift…… yet….. but….maybe by the end of the next millennium.

Happy Secure Shopping and Happy Holidays ! (Remember the reason for the season.) u