The holiday season is upon us, and days like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. Not only has the pandemic given us an uptick in online shopping, there is certainly going to be an uptick during the holiday season. So no matter if you are shopping online at Amazon or your favorite local small business, there are some key things you can do to protect yourself and your information. These are also important if you are the business owner, as you may be able to make some changes to make your customers feel more secure on your site.
Use a Service With Buyer Protection
If you are a first time buyer on a certain website, there can be lots of nerves that come with that. One of the most simple things you can do as a buyer is to checkout through a third party service that includes buyer protection. For example, checking out with PayPal offers you that security that if something goes wrong, you will get your money back. There are many services like that out there. There may even be a service like that through your credit card company, make sure to give them a call and check as well. On the business end, if you are the business owner, make sure that your website gives customers the option to checkout with things like PayPal. Not only does this give your customers another option when shopping with you, but it also gives your business and website a second sense of credibility.
Look For Obvious Red Flags
When you first get onto a website there are a few red flags that are almost tell-tale signs of a scam. First, there are many misspelled words. If the site looks like it has been run through Google Translate one too many times, that is a red flag for sure. Second, is too good to be true prices. Yes, things are going to be on sale during the holiday season, but if they are selling the latest and greatest technology at 95% off retail, it is likely that you will never see that item, or that you will receive a low quality knockoff. Lastly, look for the shipping dates. If the company can give a reasonable turnaround time on delivery that is a good sign that they know what they are doing, and that it is coming from a sustainable source. If the company wants 2-3 months for delivery, and it is not a homemade item, it is likely that it is coming from some unknown place overseas, and oftentimes those items are not vetted for quality or safety.
Whether you are a business looking to add safety measures for not only your information but your customers’ information as well, or you yourself are the customer and just want some extra security, Friendly PC can help! Our Friendly Managed Services are here and ready to help any size business with any tech or cyber security problem they have. So make sure all of your security ducks are in a row this holiday season with Friendly PC.
