Safe Buying Tips

Don't be a holiday casualty.

Lincoln Spector

Doing your holiday shopping online? The Web offers convenience and frees you from hunting down that elusive yuletide parking spot--but before you click Buy Now, make sure you can trust that you'll get what ordered when you want it.

Here are some tips for safe and timely Christmas shopping on the Web.

Keep Your Eyes on the Calendar

You don't want your gift to arrive on December 26 or January 3. So be prepared to pay a premium shipping charge if necessary. Official estimates for USPS Standard delivery--usually the cheapest rate sites offer--is five to ten working days. But I've seen it take three weeks or more, and that wasn't during the Postal Service's busiest season.

This time of year, many retail Web sites post last-minute shopping pages that tell you the last day you can order an in-stock item with a particular method of shipping to get the package to its destination by December 24. The longer you wait, the higher the price. These are definitely worth checking out.

If you run out of time, you can always look for non-physical gifts--those that you can download off the Internet. Gift certificates are a good choice. Most sites let you buy them online, then print them yourself for a wrapped presentation.

Sight the Good Site

Be wary of retail sites you don't already know. Pick the wrong site, or click the wrong option, and you can be deluged with spam--or worse, become a victim of credit card fraud. But with a little caution, you can safely identify a worthwhile site.

First, look for the site's privacy statement. When you find it, read it--or at least try to decipher it. If the policy is long and difficult, you may decide to grit your teeth, go ahead, and make the purchase. But if there's no privacy statement at all, go elsewhere.

You might also want to look for the shipping charge policy. You should have some idea of how much you'll pay for shipping and handling before you sign on and start the purchase.

And look for a phone number, preferably a toll-free one. If something goes wrong with your shipment, you'll feel a lot better if you can talk to a human being about it.

Signing on to Peace of Mind

Okay, now that you trust the site, it's time to fill in some Web forms, join the site, and make your purchase. You need to be smart about this, too.

When the form comes up, check the bottom of the browser window to make sure you're on a secure Web page. If you're using Internet Explorer, you'll see a little padlock icon telling you you're safe. You can also look for "https" in the address line to indicate a secure server.

At some point, you'll have to give the site a user name and password. Don't pick a password that you use at any other site. In fact, don't use an actual word. A random string of letters and numbers is a lot safer.

How do you remember a different random piece of gibberish for every secure site? Easy: You let a password manager like Bruce Schneier and Jim Russell's free Password Safe do the remembering for you.

While you're filling in those forms, uncheck all options that involve the vendor sending you stuff or "keeping you informed about wonderful new services and products." Believe me, you'd rather stay uninformed.

And when it comes time to enter your credit card number, check again for that padlock or another tip-off to a secure site.

Speaking of credit card numbers, there's another security option. Check to see if your bank or credit card company offers virtual account numbers. These are temporary credit card numbers that are issued to you on demand for a single transaction. If they're stolen, they do the thief no good at all.