ABOUT ONLINE SHOPPING

The ease of shopping from home or office

For more information about online shopping visit the following websites.

Telstra Bigpond Home / Site Map / Internet / Security Centre / Answer Library / Tips for Online Shopping.     

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission / Consumer Rights / Internet Shopping / Online shopping checklist.

"Buy online and save"

Electronic commerce is a topic everyone is talking about, business leaders, politicians and consumers.

E-commerce, as it is colloquially known, holds great potential for all concerned.  It will expand the choice of products and services available to consumers, greatly increase competition, create new shopping trends and dramatically reduce sales overheads, which in turn will lead to cheaper prices.

Despite the benefits some consumers are wary about buying goods and services online.

There have been in the past a number of reports in the media about credit card fraud, dubious vendors, security lapses and computer criminals.

These are real issues and should not be ignored. However, the risk are quite often exaggerated (usually by those who stand to gain from consumers' fears, such as security consultants and retailers yet to open an online shop front).

What are the benefits of buying online?

Convenience: You certainly can't doubt the convenience of online shopping.  No more trying to rush to the shopping mall during your lunch break.  No more wasted time trying to find a car space or standing in the queue at the checkout.  Shop when it suits you in the comfort of your home or office.

Selection: Traditional stores must impose limits on the range of items they will carry, and the qualify of each kept in stock.  No such limits apply to "virtual" stores, which is reflected in the increased selection of goods and services available to consumers online.

Savings: Even in the biggest cities there are limits on the number of vendors competing in the marketplace.   When you shop online, the number of potential vendors increases manifold, with the result that there is great competition, and more often then not, lower prices.

Information: Obtaining detailed information about a product before you buy can be difficult at best.  Even if the sales assistant has detailed knowledge of the product, she/he is often too busy and is only interested in closing the sale.  When you shop online, you have greater access to information and no sales pressure.

Shop Globally: Australia tends to be the poor relation when it comes to release dates of new products.  Books, videos, CD and the like are often released in the USA or UK months before they are available here.  Now you don't have to wait.  If you can't get what you want here (either in a traditional store or web site), you can shop overseas with ease.

Payment Process

Most Web vendors require payment via credit card.  Online payment generally involves submitting your credit card number and expiry date details using an online form (which tends to look like a mail-order form).  The process of validating your credit card and approving the purchase happens in seconds.  You will be shown a confirmation screen advising that your order has been accepted and that the total purchase amount has been debited to your credit card. Keep a printed copy of this transaction.

Safe Credit Card Use

Many individual working in the finance and security industries consider that the risks involved in shopping online are similar to those encountered when shopping offline.  There is no greater risk of having your credit card details stolen while shopping online then there is of, say, a store clerk copying your credit card details for fraudulent purposes.

Here are some suggestions for safe online shopping:

Always use a secure Web browser.

Research the company before you shop or send them money.

Find the company's physical address and phone number. Understand the delivery system, refund policy, related charges, taxes, exchange rates, etc.

Always keep a record of your transaction, (eg, invoice, receipts, delivery promise).

PayPal

Do you always feel safe when buying things over the internet? PayPal is one of the most secure ways to shop online because we don't share your financial details with the retailers or online shops. We want you to have the confidence to buy and sell over the internet without worrying about fraud. Tips for trouble free transactions: Use PayPal - As part of our service to you PayPal offers free PayPal Buyer Protection up to the value of AU$20,000 on eligible items bought on eBay.com.au Research the seller - read reviews about the seller and use PayPal when possible use an up-to-date web browser - to protect your data and make it easier to spot fake web pages. Perfect your password - Use a combination of upper, lower case letters and numbers.

Helpful Tips

For more helpful tips on safe internet shopping, see Shopping Online Report prepared by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts' National office for Information Economy (NOIE) and the Commonwealth Department of the Treasury.