2008 Woodie Awards
Navigating the World-Wide Web sales
Amber Armstrong
Issue date: 4/19/05 Section: Juice Cover Story
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Some people find the Internet is a much cheaper, easier and time efficient way to shop without having to leave the comfort of their own home.
Yet others feel the Internet is not a safe enough domain to place their valuable checking or credit account information.
Big Pros and Scary Cons
Even with the speculations and wariness some buyers may feel, Internet business is booming rapidly; so rapidly, in fact, that Epaynews.com predicts online sales in the U.S. will reach about $117 billion by 2008.
Auction sites such as EBay and Overstock are gaining popularity, as well as nearly every brand name store imaginable.
Even though online purchases are increasing every year, some consumers are still hesitant to purchase online. Occupational therapy sophomore Monique Ratigan says she only shops online about once a month because of the risks involved.
"I am scared of using my credit card online. I also don't like shopping online because I'm worried things won't come on time or won't fit," Ratigan says.
According to the National Internet Fraud Watch Information Center, the average loss to fraud victims was $895 in 2003, up $368 from the previous year.
Seniors aged 60 or older consist of 8% of fraud victims in 2004, and usually get stung by organizations posing as lottery clubs, information and adult services and Nigerian money offers.
To practice safety with online purchases, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a list of safely tips. First, the FTC suggests using a secure browser that complies with security standards such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The browser scrambles the information entered on the Web site so hackers cannot easily intercept confidential information from consumers.
Most computers come with these browsers, but if it is not included with your computer, many are available to download online for free.
The FTC also suggests shopping with known companies. These companies strive to keep their Web sites secure and will work to maintain security in order to gain or retain your business.
When unsure whether or not a site is secure, the FTC suggests requesting a paper brochure with a list of the online-company's products.