Ensuring Consumer Security when Shopping at Online Clothing Boutiques

Online shopping websites provide utmost convenience to many by allowing customers to search for a product with ease. Consumers can quickly select the item of their choice, and purchase it with a click of a mouse. This advantage holds true for most online clothing boutiques, where buyers can shop for a myriad of items without having to scour physical stores. While it is true that online shopping has its share of advantages, caution must also be practiced. If one can practice proper purchasing methods, private information will be kept safe, and problems like identity theft will prevented.

McAfee released an article that shares safety reminders for consumers. Some of its guidelines include checking secondary sources, web addresses, and encryption to make sure that the store is credible and trustworthy.

"Check the web address to make sure you are on the correct site—Once you arrive at a site, you need to make sure that it is legitimate and not a fake or spoofed version.
Check that the site is secure—Look for a security seal, such as the McAfee SECURE trustmark, indicating that the site has been scanned and verified as secure by a trusted third party. This security seal indicates that the site will protect you from identity theft, credit card fraud, spam and other malicious threats.
Use a credit card or an online payment service—If the site turns out to be fraudulent, your credit card company will usually reimburse you for the purchase; and in the case of credit card fraud, the law should protect you."

Encryption is very important in an online shopping website. Customers will usually need to fill out information before making a purchase. This must be kept confidential by the online shop, by providing personalized passwords or encryption codes to its customers. On the part of the consumer, a longer password can be helpful to protect personal information.

In terms of payment, online shops mostly accept credit cards. Customers can use temporary cards to pay for the product, or utilize other payment services so that credit card information will not be compromised. Online clothing boutiques for women like PipLey Boutique protect credit card information with a secure SSL Certificate that encrypts all site transactions with industry-standard secure sockets layer (SSL) technology.

Online shopping has become a worldwide consumer trend. With a significant number of products already being sold online, more and more customers would want to ensure their safety and continue enjoying the convenience of searching and purchasing with a touch of a button. By following the above-mentioned tips, consumers can easily verify if online stores are established and reliable.

(Source: Tips for online shopping- when making a purchase, McAfee.com)