10 Tips for Savvy Online Shopping

Sortprice.com offers these "10 Commandments" for safe and smart shopping on Cyber Monday. These tips are helpful for the 2008 holiday season and during the rest of the year.

• "Be thorough in your research: utilize all the resources the internet provides, compare prices and search for online-only bargains to guarantee that you're saving money at this critical economic time.
• Carefully review every online retailer's terms and conditions as well as their return policies, as they vary industry-wide.
• Update your home computer's anti-virus software and security tools before you start shopping, and if using a wireless connection, make sure it's encrypted with a password.
• Order in advance to ensure you don't get hurt by holiday shipping delays and check stock availability for a given product before you place an order.
• Beware of certain promotional emails requesting personal information or promising a special deal as they could be part of a 'phishing' scam.
• Create or update new online passwords that are unique and difficult to steal. Avoid pet names, birthdays, etc. and incorporate numbers and characters.
• Use credit cards instead of debit cards - you'll be better protected from fraud and face less liability in the event of your card number being stolen.
• Shop only on certifiably secure websites: look for 'https://' URLs that indicate secure connections when placing orders and entering personal information.
• Be diligent about where you disclose personal information - including phone numbers, addresses and financial information - and avoid unverifiable entities.
• Look for delivery guarantees from online retailers and always keep hard copies of email confirmations of orders and delivery status." --Sortprice.com