The Internet has changed the way we shop for clothes. Many people have found the convenience of shopping online to be a great experience. You can easily click and view the product. You have fun shopping, browsing, reading and learning about the products. And you don’t have to waste time from your busy schedule fighting traffic, crowds and lines to shop for the perfect gift for your recipient.

Not surprisingly, the Internet business generated $301 billion in revenue last year, according to an estimate from the University of Texas.

If you compare online shopping with offline shopping, you would think that security-wise, you would favor offline shopping, right? Not precisely.

In the past, shoppers were more reluctant to shop online; Now things have changed a lot. And that consumer confidence directly reflects the tremendous growth in online sales.

I have a friend who took his wife for a romantic evening at a local restaurant. The last place you would expect credit card fraud to occur. By the time he realized that he had been double charged for dinner, it was too late to go back to the restaurant. He called me and we concluded that it must be a mistake. We found out later that the restaurant owner’s reputation was a bit shaky. Apparently, he frequently overcharged customers hoping they wouldn’t notice.

I don’t know. It’s a funny world we live in.

Does this mean that the Internet is safe? Relatively yes, but don’t forget, the internet is an open field and there are some bad elements out there.

We have been buying online for years. We never had a problem with credit card fraud on the Internet. But then again, we always take precautions. From now on, you will see 10 checkpoints that online merchants must pass to secure our business…

Will your credit card details be safe?

Big-name online businesses know that one of the things that prevents customers from ordering from them is that they’re not sure if their credit card details will be safe. Responsible companies have taken this concern into account and have configured their systems to provide the customer with maximum security.

How would you know if you are entering your payment details on a secure page?

You should see an image of a lock at the bottom right of the screen. This lock will appear on the page you complete when ordering and ensures that your name, address and credit card information is sent to the online store via an encrypted code. This encrypted code means that a hacker will not be able to steal your credit card information.

Does the online store value your privacy and confidentiality?

Before the days of the Internet, when I used to order something from a mail order company, they would mysteriously send me advertisements from companies I had not done business with. At the time, I did not know that companies sold your personal information for advertising purposes to other companies.

Getting spam was annoying, but because of the cost involved, it didn’t happen all the time. Now imagine if you do business online with a company that does not respect your privacy and sells your email address.

The next time you open your email software, you’ll be bombarded with emails ranging from a dozen to hundreds. That’s not annoying, it’s intolerable.

So the moral of the story here, make sure your email address doesn’t get sold. Make sure the online store has a privacy statement stating that they will hold your personal data in the strictest privacy and confidentiality.

Does the online store have contact details?

You may of course think that an online store would display your contact details on their website. You would be surprised. I was. No email address, nothing. This is a red flag for sure.

Reputable companies will have contact details.

Do you have a refund policy?

Offline stores have a refund policy and you go into the store, physically select the product, and then you can return it for any reason. If a refund policy is important in offline stores, it is twice as important for online stores.

The convenience of the internet trumps the offline world when it comes to shopping, but one thing it can’t match is that offline you can physically touch the product. So a 30 day refund policy is great, longer is better. There is no refund policy and I would stay away.

Do they send you some kind of confirmation when you place your order?

When you place your order what you need is something to tell you that it has been received, a receipt if you want.

A reputable company will email you one or display a new page on their website where they will thank you and tell you that the order was successful and your product is on its way.

When do you deliver?

What time do you deliver during the day? Do you deliver on weekends? Can you choose a time to have your gift delivered? Will it be personally delivered to the intended recipient or will the courier drop it off at your door?

How will your gift arrive?

If it’s flowers, will it come with a vase or in a nice box or wrapped? Will your bouquet contain flower care instructions? How about a flower food to make your flowers last longer?

If you have ordered another product as a gift, will it be wrapped? What type of material will it be delivered in? Do they tell you these things on their website?

How long have they been in business?

This may not mean much. There are companies that start and surpass all others. But perhaps for your peace of mind, you may want to use an online store that has been in business for a few years. To check the history of the company is easy.

You can go to networksolutions.com and click on “whois” in the top bar. You will be taken to a page where you can enter the web address of the online store you want to check and receive the relevant information.

Is the online store site easy to use?

Is it easy to navigate? Is it easy to search for products? Do your graphics download in a reasonable amount of time? A sure sign of an amateur view is if they have their website chock full of information.

Have they received bad reviews?

A reputable company is not necessarily one that does not have bad reviews to its name. It is virtually impossible to please everyone.

There have been companies that I have bought from and absolutely loved. So sometimes I am surprised when I stumble across a bad review on their products or even bad comments about them.

So when is a negative comment about a company worth considering? I take note of the reviews in which the writer complains about:

• not receive the product
• not receive a refund
• have not responded to your emails

If you want to see what kind of reviews a business can get, click on alexa.com. When you get to the website, type in the address of the store you want to check out. This will also show you how long the company has been in business.

Online shopping is fun. Take care of yourself a bit and make it an experience! Happy shopping!