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Online shopping in the United States equaled $65B in 2004, and predictions for 2008 expect that figure to rise to $117B. The internet can be a shopper's dream; however, you need to know how to shop safely and securely. Below are some considerations you should take into account before you make an online purchase.

Is the web site reputable?

If you are shopping on a site that you are not familiar with, take the time to do a little homework before you share any sensitive personal information. Check the site to see if there is a third-party seal of approval posted from a trusted source like the Better Business Bureau Online, or Trust-E. The stamp of approval from these organizations means the web site has agreed to be held to strict standards in how they handle personal information, as well as customer complaints.

Sites such as BizRate.com or Epinions.com may have information about various sites along with customer reviews. You can also enter the name of the web site or business into your favorite search engine to see what comes up. If someone has had a bad experience with the site, it may be mentioned in a user forum or consumer information site.

Is the web site using secure technology?

When information is transferred between your computer and the shopping site's server, it should be encrypted. If a shopping site's server uses encryption technology, your data will be scrambled and then unscrambled when it reaches the shopping site's server. Encryption prevents unscrupulous hackers from capturing the information during transmission.

There are two things to look for to ensure that your personal data will be encrypted.

· An icon of a small locked padlock will appear in the bottom right of your monitor's screen.
· The URL of the web page should begin with https, which also indicates that it is a secure web page.

Before you click on the checkout button, know your shipping costs.

A reputable site will make their shipping costs easy to find before you check out. To avoid any unpleasant surprises take the time to look for shipping rates. Data collected from surveys of online shopping experiences consistently show that the one thing online shoppers dislike above all is shipping charges. While it is unavoidable that you have to absorb the cost of shipping one way or another, smart retailers will try to keep these costs to a minimum. Sometimes they will do this creatively by offering you incentives to purchase more, to help offset their costs for discounted shipping charges.

Moreover, while reputable sites will have a liberal return policy in the event you are not happy with your merchandise, be aware that in most cases you will not be reimbursed for the shipping charges to return the item.

Understand the return policy.

Never purchase anything from a web site without reading the fine print - particularly the fine print about its return policy. Good retail sites will allow you to return items you are not completely happy with, but sometimes there are stipulations that you should be aware of before you order.

Is there a restocking fee? This charge can be anywhere from 5%-20% of an item's purchase price, and is meant to discourage customers from returning merchandise. In addition, make sure you know how much time you have to return an item in order to receive a refund. Some companies seem to allow an almost unlimited return window, but in some cases, it can be as little as one week after you receive your order. You may still be able to return an item after this period, but will only receive a store credit instead of a full refund.

Following the above suggestions will help you to shop online with confidence. As time goes on, there will be an unbelievable variety of merchandise and web sites to shop. Nevertheless, you need to shop securely, read the fine print, and then enjoy the savings and convenience of online shopping.

Online shopping in the United States equaled $65B in 2004, and predictions for 2008 expect that figure to rise to $117B. The internet can be a shopper's dream; however, you need to know how to shop safely and securely. Below are some considerations you should take into account before you make an online purchase.

Is the web site reputable?

If you are shopping on a site that you are not familiar with, take the time to do a little homework before you share any sensitive personal information. Check the site to see if there is a third-party seal of approval posted from a trusted source like the Better Business Bureau Online, or Trust-E. The stamp of approval from these organizations means the web site has agreed to be held to strict standards in how they handle personal information, as well as customer complaints.

Sites such as BizRate.com or Epinions.com may have information about various sites along with customer reviews. You can also enter the name of the web site or business into your favorite search engine to see what comes up. If someone has had a bad experience with the site, it may be mentioned in a user forum or consumer information site.

Is the web site using secure technology?

When information is transferred between your computer and the shopping site's server, it should be encrypted. If a shopping site's server uses encryption technology, your data will be scrambled and then unscrambled when it reaches the shopping site's server. Encryption prevents unscrupulous hackers from capturing the information during transmission.

There are two things to look for to ensure that your personal data will be encrypted.

· An icon of a small locked padlock will appear in the bottom right of your monitor's screen.
· The URL of the web page should begin with https, which also indicates that it is a secure web page.

Before you click on the checkout button, know your shipping costs.

A reputable site will make their shipping costs easy to find before you check out. To avoid any unpleasant surprises take the time to look for shipping rates. Data collected from surveys of online shopping experiences consistently show that the one thing online shoppers dislike above all is shipping charges. While it is unavoidable that you have to absorb the cost of shipping one way or another, smart retailers will try to keep these costs to a minimum. Sometimes they will do this creatively by offering you incentives to purchase more, to help offset their costs for discounted shipping charges.

Moreover, while reputable sites will have a liberal return policy in the event you are not happy with your merchandise, be aware that in most cases you will not be reimbursed for the shipping charges to return the item.

Understand the return policy.

Never purchase anything from a web site without reading the fine print - particularly the fine print about its return policy. Good retail sites will allow you to return items you are not completely happy with, but sometimes there are stipulations that you should be aware of before you order.

Is there a restocking fee? This charge can be anywhere from 5%-20% of an item's purchase price, and is meant to discourage customers from returning merchandise. In addition, make sure you know how much time you have to return an item in order to receive a refund. Some companies seem to allow an almost unlimited return window, but in some cases, it can be as little as one week after you receive your order. You may still be able to return an item after this period, but will only receive a store credit instead of a full refund.

Following the above suggestions will help you to shop online with confidence. As time goes on, there will be an unbelievable variety of merchandise and web sites to shop. Nevertheless, you need to shop securely, read the fine print, and then enjoy the savings and convenience of online shopping.

Online shopping in the United States equaled $65B in 2004, and predictions for 2008 expect that figure to rise to $117B. The internet can be a shopper's dream; however, you need to know how to shop safely and securely. Below are some considerations you should take into account before you make an online purchase.

Is the web site reputable?

If you are shopping on a site that you are not familiar with, take the time to do a little homework before you share any sensitive personal information. Check the site to see if there is a third-party seal of approval posted from a trusted source like the Better Business Bureau Online, or Trust-E. The stamp of approval from these organizations means the web site has agreed to be held to strict standards in how they handle personal information, as well as customer complaints.

Sites such as BizRate.com or Epinions.com may have information about various sites along with customer reviews. You can also enter the name of the web site or business into your favorite search engine to see what comes up. If someone has had a bad experience with the site, it may be mentioned in a user forum or consumer information site.

Is the web site using secure technology?

When information is transferred between your computer and the shopping site's server, it should be encrypted. If a shopping site's server uses encryption technology, your data will be scrambled and then unscrambled when it reaches the shopping site's server. Encryption prevents unscrupulous hackers from capturing the information during transmission.

There are two things to look for to ensure that your personal data will be encrypted.

· An icon of a small locked padlock will appear in the bottom right of your monitor's screen.
· The URL of the web page should begin with https, which also indicates that it is a secure web page.

Before you click on the checkout button, know your shipping costs.

A reputable site will make their shipping costs easy to find before you check out. To avoid any unpleasant surprises take the time to look for shipping rates. Data collected from surveys of online shopping experiences consistently show that the one thing online shoppers dislike above all is shipping charges. While it is unavoidable that you have to absorb the cost of shipping one way or another, smart retailers will try to keep these costs to a minimum. Sometimes they will do this creatively by offering you incentives to purchase more, to help offset their costs for discounted shipping charges.

Moreover, while reputable sites will have a liberal return policy in the event you are not happy with your merchandise, be aware that in most cases you will not be reimbursed for the shipping charges to return the item.

Understand the return policy.

Never purchase anything from a web site without reading the fine print - particularly the fine print about its return policy. Good retail sites will allow you to return items you are not completely happy with, but sometimes there are stipulations that you should be aware of before you order.

Is there a restocking fee? This charge can be anywhere from 5%-20% of an item's purchase price, and is meant to discourage customers from returning merchandise. In addition, make sure you know how much time you have to return an item in order to receive a refund. Some companies seem to allow an almost unlimited return window, but in some cases, it can be as little as one week after you receive your order. You may still be able to return an item after this period, but will only receive a store credit instead of a full refund.

Following the above suggestions will help you to shop online with confidence. As time goes on, there will be an unbelievable variety of merchandise and web sites to shop. Nevertheless, you need to shop securely, read the fine print, and then enjoy the savings and convenience of online shopping.
Online shopping in the United States equaled $65B in 2004, and predictions for 2008 expect that figure to rise to $117B. The internet can be a shopper's dream; however, you need to know how to shop safely and securely. Below are some considerations you should take into account before you make an online purchase.

Is the web site reputable?

If you are shopping on a site that you are not familiar with, take the time to do a little homework before you share any sensitive personal information. Check the site to see if there is a third-party seal of approval posted from a trusted source like the Better Business Bureau Online, or Trust-E. The stamp of approval from these organizations means the web site has agreed to be held to strict standards in how they handle personal information, as well as customer complaints.

Sites such as BizRate.com or Epinions.com may have information about various sites along with customer reviews. You can also enter the name of the web site or business into your favorite search engine to see what comes up. If someone has had a bad experience with the site, it may be mentioned in a user forum or consumer information site.

Is the web site using secure technology?

When information is transferred between your computer and the shopping site's server, it should be encrypted. If a shopping site's server uses encryption technology, your data will be scrambled and then unscrambled when it reaches the shopping site's server. Encryption prevents unscrupulous hackers from capturing the information during transmission.

There are two things to look for to ensure that your personal data will be encrypted.

· An icon of a small locked padlock will appear in the bottom right of your monitor's screen.
· The URL of the web page should begin with https, which also indicates that it is a secure web page.

Before you click on the checkout button, know your shipping costs.

A reputable site will make their shipping costs easy to find before you check out. To avoid any unpleasant surprises take the time to look for shipping rates. Data collected from surveys of online shopping experiences consistently show that the one thing online shoppers dislike above all is shipping charges. While it is unavoidable that you have to absorb the cost of shipping one way or another, smart retailers will try to keep these costs to a minimum. Sometimes they will do this creatively by offering you incentives to purchase more, to help offset their costs for discounted shipping charges.

Moreover, while reputable sites will have a liberal return policy in the event you are not happy with your merchandise, be aware that in most cases you will not be reimbursed for the shipping charges to return the item.

Understand the return policy.

Never purchase anything from a web site without reading the fine print - particularly the fine print about its return policy. Good retail sites will allow you to return items you are not completely happy with, but sometimes there are stipulations that you should be aware of before you order.

Is there a restocking fee? This charge can be anywhere from 5%-20% of an item's purchase price, and is meant to discourage customers from returning merchandise. In addition, make sure you know how much time you have to return an item in order to receive a refund. Some companies seem to allow an almost unlimited return window, but in some cases, it can be as little as one week after you receive your order. You may still be able to return an item after this period, but will only receive a store credit instead of a full refund.

Following the above suggestions will help you to shop online with confidence. As time goes on, there will be an unbelievable variety of merchandise and web sites to shop. Nevertheless, you need to shop securely, read the fine print, and then enjoy the savings and convenience of online shopping.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
For more information about online shopping, visit Shopping

With varieties of handbags floating in the market, it has become difficult to make a choice.

Handbags have actually become the requirement of every woman’s life. Apart from their cosmetics, handbags are used to carry other imperative stuffs, including credit cards and cell phones.

Every woman loves her wide collection of handbags, as they are the most noticeable fashion and style accessory for them. Women love to carry designer handbags and flaunt them at parties, meetings, and get-togethers. But there are many women who may not actually be able to afford these designer bags to remain in fashion with the ever-changing trends of handbags.

Handbags are not only used for completing the outer appearance or to give a style statement but are supple containers to contain everyday items in them. The handbags that have more number of compartments to store everyday stuff are more preferred by homemakers. There are unique styles and colors available in this category to add fashion to these useful handbags.

As there are more than thousands of designs and styles of handbags available in the market, it becomes more complicated for fashionable women to find one perfect handbag for them. Apart from choosing handbag just for the mere sake of fashion, one should also see that it suits your body type and personality.

It is very important to keep the shape of your body while selecting a particular bag so that you do not look out of proportion. A perfect handbag that you are carrying should match your body type perfectly.

If a woman is thin and tall, any shape and style of handbag will suit her. Over sized and clutched handbags or shoulder bag will suit her very nicely. And even the large handbag would look really nice on the long legged women. In fact smaller handbags will also look good on taller women but they should make sure that smaller handbags should snugly fit under their shoulders.

Plump and short girls need to pay more attention while selecting a handbag for them. Smaller bags perfectly suit the females with short heights and physique as large size bags may make them look even shorter. Small and cute purses may create illusion of their height and make them appear taller than they actually are.

The girls who have curvy body are lucky enough as the use of this accessory may enhance their body curves. Handbags that hit right above their waist are good for them and provide them a great posture. A medium sized bag works best in emphasizing curvy shape of the women’s body.

When it comes to plus sized women, they should not use small handbags as these bags may emphasize on their plus sized body and can even make them look larger and fattier when compared to the size of small purses they are carrying. The handbags having short straps should also be avoided by them. They must try slightly larger and wider handbags than normal size handbags that can make their huge size look smaller.

So, after having all the ideas about the right selection of handbags, choose one that suits you and your personality. Another important thing you need to remember is that handbags do not only rely on your body type but also on the type of outfit and footwear you wear.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:

Adrian Poyer is author of this article on handbags. Find more information about handbags here

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