Search: more on safe online shopping
Almost 27 million people in Britain will be doing their Christmas shopping online this year but some could unknowingly sacrifice their online security. Checking that they are buying from a trusted website or brand is only a priority for one in seven. By contrast, three in five (62%) shoppers are intent on finding a bargain according to the latest research* by PayPal, the online payment provider.
As spending remains tight around the UK this Christmas, shoppers will increasingly turn to the internet in search of a good deal. According to the research, the things which matter to online Christmas shoppers in order of importance are:
- Saving money or finding a bargain (62%)
- Free delivery (31%)
- Speed and convenience (31%)
- Ability to buy things they can’t find on the high street (15%)
- Buying from a trusted brand or website (14%)
- Rapid delivery time (11%)
- Ability to ship items directly to the recipient as a gift (5%)
PayPal is warning shoppers not to compromise their online safety in search of a good deal this Christmas. The research shows that as a nation we still don’t cover the basics of shopping securely online. Over four in ten online shoppers don’t check a website for the padlock icon which indicates the website is secure. Two thirds of shoppers don’t check if a retailer offers an offline address or customer services number before making a purchase which would help make the resolution or refund process smoother if anything went wrong.
Garreth Griffith, head of risk and security at PayPal offered the following tips for safe online Christmas shopping:
- Take the time to understand the refund policies for any online retailer you are planning to buy from, especially if they are not based in the UK. Make sure you are comfortable with the refund and return postage policies or compensation that you would get if something were to go wrong.
- When making financial transactions online, take time to ensure that the site you’re entering your details on is legitimate and not a clone site or unsecure. For example look for the padlock symbol in the browser and make sure the website address (or URL) starts with ‘https’.
- Protect your personal details by using a payment method such as PayPal which does not share your personal information with retailers.
- Make sure you use one of the latest browsers, such as Internet Explorer 7 or 8, to surf the web and have the latest versions of security software on your computer and set them to automatic update.
- Finally, if an offer seems too good to be true it probably is – make sure you use reasonable judgment when buying online. Try to think of the offline equivalent to what you are doing and ask yourself if it is wise to make the purchase.
* The research for PayPal was carried out online by Opinium between 14th and 16th October 2009 amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,012 UK adults aged 18+. PayPal is a partner in the UK’s internet safety awareness initiative, Get Safe Online (www.getsafeonline.org).
