10 Safe Shopping Tips for Cyber Monday

After Black Friday, when many shoppers go to bricks-and-mortar stores looking for huge discounts, shoppers then shift to Cyber Monday to search for more deals on holiday gifts.

The Better Business Bureau of the St. Louis area has10 tips to keep shoppers safe throughout the season.

1. Protect your computer — Activate a firewall, and use anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Check for and install the latest protection updates and regularly run virus scans.
2. Verify websites’ security settings — Secure websites have addresses that begin with "https://". Shoppers may also see a picture of a small closed lock in the  corner of their web browser to indicate a website’s security.
3. Shop websites with the BBB seal — Search for the Better Business Bureau's seal that shows the organziation has checked the retailer's website and its security. Clicking on the new logo will take readers to the to BBB Business Review of the retailer's website.
4. Protect personal identification information—Read the sites’ privacy policies, know what information is requested for each purchase and how it will be used. Never provide personal information on unsolicited emails. If no privacy policy is exists for a website, it could indicate that the site may sell personal information without permission.
5. Be skeptical of too-good-to-be-true deals — Websites and unsolicited emails hide assocaited costs or monthly charges on offers of free, low priced or hard-to-find items. Look for and read the fine print.
6. Beware of phishing—Legitimate businesses never send emails requesting buyers to provide financial or personal identification information. Buyers who received an email about a problem with an order, account or a package should call  the retailers' customer service center to confirm a problem.
7. Use credit cards on cyber purchases—Federal law allows buyers to challenge charges on undelivered items. Shoppers can also dispute any unauthorized charges on the card. Most card companies have zero-liability policies to protect buyers if a thief steals and uses their card numbers. Regularly check credit card statements. Never wire money.
8. Keep purchase and shipment documents —Always hold a copy of the purchase confirmation page and of the related emails until the purchased items are delivered and verified.
9. Get the shipment tracking number — If shipping holiday gifts, learn when the seller will ship the items and how they will be shipped. Buyers can use the tracking number to find lost purchases.
10. Know the laws protecting buyers. Federal law requires phone, mail or online orders to be shipped by the date promised or within 30 days if no delivery time was stated. If the seller fails to ship the items on time, shoppers can cancel and demand a refund. Consumers also may reject merchandise if it is defective or was misrepresented.