Silver surfer help please.

Mikex

I have been slow to catch on to online shopping mainly due to the fear of being conned. Last year I decided it was time I took the plunge & asked my wife (she is in charge of all things financial) to provide me with the means so to do. It was decided to open a new bank account dedicated to online purchases and with it came a debit card. £500 was deposited in said account and I was ready to go!

I have made half a dozen or so purchases without major incident although on one occasion an Amazon marketplace trader supplied a CD advertised as being new which clearly was not.

Now I will get to the point.

I want to make my online shopping safe and am looking for advice.

I spoke to the Nationwide BS yesterday where my account is and asked if my card is used without my permission would I get my money back. The answer was no but they will try to recover it for me. This might/might not be successful.

It was suggested I become "verified by VISA". I have joined PayPal and understand how it works is I only supply PayPal with my debit card details & they dish out money on my behalf through a password system. This way the individual suppliers get paid but do not see my card details. Does "verified by VISA" work in the same way?

We also discussed the advantages of getting a credit card rather than using my debit card. Although there do seem to be some advantages this is still not 100% safe.

I think I have outlined my position and look forward to your advice.

One thing the Nationwide adviser said is ensure you deal with recognised reputable firms.

Thanks

Mike

Barneysmom

I believe so. I use verified when I do my Tesco online shop - in fact I can't just do my shop without using it now. I just wish I had a foolproof way of remembering all my passwords :)

For the time being only use online shops that you know like the big supermarkets, Amazon, Play.com.
There are loads of safe shops but I maihnly use those as I can get everything bar and elephant from those ones.

When you've got a good hang of online shopping you can start to branch out and use cashback sites like Quidco and make a few pence every time you shop

JournalGirl

No, verified by visa just requires an additional security password. So it won't get your money back, but will make it less likely you lose money fraudulently

I prefer to use a credit card, also verified with visa, online, as at least purchases over£100 are protected

CLAPTON

No, you can't be absolutely safe if you trade online or indeed in the real world either
Trading online with unknown traders is like shopping in a temporary market or buying from some-one who calls at your door.

Using a credit card gives you section 75 protection and is generally considered safer than using debit cards

If your debit cards is cloned and used without permission you will in general get your money back

More difficult is where there is a dispute about goods delivered or about their suitability or quality

Eliza_2

Whether you shop online or never shop online there are still loads of ways people can access your bank accounts - losing your card, writing your pin on a bit of paper and losing that at the same time, shops typing in the wrong amount on their card machines by accident...............loads of things that can go wrong, to say nothing of identity theft etc. If you take care, check things and use common sense with who you deal with you should have no problems.

And the same applies online, I never can understand why people part with their money and bank details to people they've never heard of and all the usual cautions go out of the window just because it's online.

I have shopped online for years and years and years, in fact even before the internet came with pictures, and have never once been scammed, had my details stolen, had someone access my account or similar. Tempting fate to say that, but really it's just a matter of using the same common sense as you do in everyday shopping down the high street (would you give your bank details to someone selling watches from a suitcase in an alleyway? - no, neither would I) However, I'm a very trusting person, and usually imagine that everyone is trustworthy unless I'm proved otherwise - life's too short at my age to be suspecting everyone. You sound more cautious than me.

Just have fun with it and enjoy your purchases and don't worry about it - as others have said, most ebayers, online versions of high street shops, well known companies are all absolutely fine, and if there is a problem, have systems in place to sort it out.

Liz

dzug1

Verified by Visa is not something you choose to use on all occasions - the merchant controls whether it's used or not, not you. I think you can decide not to use it at all, by not signing up, but once signed up you use it where your supplier asks for it.

Mikex

Thanks, things are becoming a little clearer.

The "only shop with major well known companies" advice is a little difficult for me to comply with. The thing is I can (or my wife can) buy all the commodities locally for which she pays cash.

My requirements tend to be more difficult to obtain. Recently I needed some 1/4 inch plumbing fittings & valves. None of the local suppliers had these items for sale but they were available online from companies I have never heard of. I also need some A4 stainless steel nuts/bolts/washers which are very difficult/impossible to obtain generally but easily available with a few clicks.

I do not want this reply to sound as though I have asked a question and ignored the advice given but you will understand my requirements are a little unusual. I am just trying to establish what risks I am taking and how best to stay as safe as possible. Bottom line is if the worst happens will my household insurance cover any losses. Will have a look at the policy in due course. From memory I think it covers me for £10,000 but I guess this will depend on circumstances.

Mike

Mikex

Still not clear about "verified by VISA".

Does the trader see your card details if you use it?

Thanks

Mike

JournalGirl

Although not an absolute, you are far less likely to be scammed buying that sort of product. The deliberately fraudulent websites generally advertise fashionably popular or designer items at low prices. In my opinion, the worst you are likely to come across buying small scale hardware items would be a retailer going bust before he fulfilled your order.

And the best piece of safety advice I can give you is 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is'

Happy surfing;)

JournalGirl

And I forgot to mention, only use websites displaying the secure symbol.

JournalGirl

Mikex wrote: »

Still not clear about "verified by VISA".

Does the trader see your card details if you use it?

Thanks

Mike

Yes, but they don't see the password you use for the second layer of security.