Want to get started shopping on the Web? Start by updating your web browser to the newest release, for additional security and support for 128-bit encryption, for extra security when sending credit card data and other sensitive info across the Net.
Of course, security on your end doesn't necessarily ensure security on the vendor's side, as one Slashdot reader discovered, while trying to order a red Swingline Stapler. He writes, "I click on the add to cart button on the Swingline website, and it pops open an ordering window with a 4 staplers added to the shopping cart. Ok, I think it’s a little strange, but change the quantity back to 1, and hit continue to checkout. Next thing I know, I’m looking at an order form with all the text boxes filled out with somebody else’s personal information. He’s from Bellevue, WA apparently (I’m in Virginia). It also has his credit card number and expiration date!"
We recommend dealing only with reputable vendors providing secure transaction and authentication services. Check with your credit card companies to find out what purchase security policies they offer.
Alternatives to Credit Cards
There are a number of online alternatives to credit cards, for those uncomfortable with the idea of exposing their credit card information online. A few include:
cybux.net - Accepted starting in Jan. 2003, HMV and Sport Mart. (Note the fine print: although the site lists at Amazon.ca, eBay.ca, and Sony Canada on its "shop now" page, these associates are not in the Featured Merchants list.)
eCharge.com - A Telus spin-off, this company essentially provides you with the internet commerce equivalent of a 1-900 number.
PayPal is a popular choice for online e-payments. However, a growing number of reports suggest its ID system is a shambles that allows it to retain users' money that should be released. See more at www.vortexcentrum.com. Another site with PayPal warnings is http://www.paypalwarning.com.
Many complaints revolve around individuals and businesses not getting their money back or having their accounts frozen with no apparent method of getting through. Refunds processed through PayPal carry a hefty service charge, as well. Vancouver-based tax consultant David Ingram, who in April 2003 found an Atlanta-based eBay seller unwilling to ship a printer to him because of Canada's position on the U.S.-led war in Iraq, says a refund processed through PayPal cost him approximately $11.00 Canadian.
Window Shopping?
Once you're ready to shop, where to start? We'd recommend dropping by the Commerce pages on Netscape and Microsoft's home pages for some background info on how to get started. And remember, deal with reputable companies. The names listed below were listed by CBC Almanac listeners as their web shopping favorites.
www.eBay.ca - You can find almost anything here. Check the shipping details -- not all sellers will ship to Canada. Be careful, though. Internet auction fraud accounts for 87 percent of all incidents of online crime, according to some studies.
www.amazon.com
Books galore. Gift wrapping too. There's a Canadian division (Amazon.ca) now, too.
http://www.diamondave.com/sinistershoppe/index-m.htm
Looking for a left-handed store? Visit The Sinister Shop in Toronto, run by Lawrie Weiser, a lefthander and self-proclaimed sinistrologist.
www.cdnow.com
Shopping for music? Hear the music before you buy - lots of old '70s stuff.
www.bcfarmfresh.com 22 varieties of Apples from Yarrow? No problem. Place your order with 64 farmers. Book tours (great for school kids), place orders.
BC Hothouse Tomatoes - yum!
www.bchothouse.com
cycling.org
Cyber Cyclery -- Info from riders around the world.
www.retailworks.com/bc
This marketing site for Seven Oaks shopping centre welcomed 4,400 visitors in 1st month; a survey showed 10 percent of men and 2/3 of women wanted to shop online.
www.abebooks.com
Victoria-based book company. New and used.
For Further Reading:
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