Online Scams: Protect Yourself when Using Your Credit/Debit Card Online

Most of us have either purchased an item online or have been seriously tempted to do so at one time or another. It is not too late to take a careful look behind the scenes to see what tricks await the online buyer. A little research can save you a lot of money and aggravation along the way. Every online purchase needs to be scrutinized before you make a decision. Many products or services are utterly fraudulent offers designed to ensnare the unwary customer. Be vigilant even when dealing with the big and well known names that you see advertised. They can have serious problems too, and even more harrowing is the fact that unscrupulous campanies can sometimes illegaly use these familiar names and logos to fool a careless consumer. Avoid stepping into one of the multitudes of traps that are out there.

These are a few well known names that are showing up on complaintsboard,com just today so far: Sears, Tru-Green, Barclay's Credit Card, Bank of America, and Gold's Gym. Scroll through the regularly updated daily list yourself to see the current issues and companies being described. Their list is updated as each new complaint comes in, with a detailed description of the complaint from the actual submitter. Just type in the name of the organization that you are considering in the company search box provided. This is just one site to check for any potential problems you may have with an online purchase.

A few of the more prevalent card-scam complaints today are with Acai Berry, Classmates.com, GoogleCash, and several teeth whitening products. Here is just one example of a common complaint from complaintsboard.com: Express Berry:"It was a free trial, i canceled the order and have been being charged 87.84 each month for 3 months. i have called and called and each time they say they canceld it and i should get a refund. When to the bank today and again they have charged my accounty 87.84. How can i get them to cancel my order and give me my money back? HELP". This type of complaint is typical of those written about multitudes of online merchants. Read the various websites whose links I provide here. Do the research and you will see that this occurence is commonplace.

Another good site to check for potential problems before you purchase online is ripoffreports.com. There is not an ongoing list of daily complaints, but if you simply type the company name in the search box you will get an abundance of information. You will be surprised. Try typing Google, Sears, Kmart or any other well known establishment that you may frequent. Pay attention to the credit/debit card complaints.

The Better Business Bureau is also a very well established place to check for company credentials. They generally deal with only larger companies, but it is also a good place to check out a local establishment you may be considering for a debit/credit card purchase. Here you can type in the actual name and address of a neighborhood store or business to check for complaints. Furniture stores, auto repair shops, appliance stores can all be investigated before you decide to get your card out. Make sure guarantees and warranties are being honored before you make a purchase.

Here are a few of the most common complaints that center around use of your credit/debit card to order online:

Free trial offer, unable to cancel, billed for full amount...
Billed twice, unable to get reimbursed...
Defective product, no refund...
Billed for products never received...
Recurring unauthorized charges to card...
No refund recieved, as promised...
Keep receiving product after cancellation, cash deducted from card...
Banks will not help resolve billing issues...

Protect Yourself
The bottom line here is to do your research before you make any online transaction. Please pay attention to the fine print, or you may end up with recurring charges just for ordering what you believed was a $1 trial offer. The fine print often contains large loopholes allowing online companies to bill your credit/debit card for more than you were willing to pay and more frequently than you understood. Be sure you read the entire offer including all provisons, from top to bottom. if you must order online, then utilize reputable sites like Yahoo and Amazon.

Since the banks and credit card companies frequently offer very little help in getting your money back, the burden is on you to be prudent. When the bank has already paid out the money from your account, they have no incentive to go and try to get it back for you. Getting card charges reversed can be almost impossible in these cases . Avoid the "get rich quick" schemes absolutely, and pay very close attention to any "make money online" advertisements you may be considering. If you pay an upfront fee, this gives them billing access to your card information, so think twice before you partake. Try to stay away from new or start-up companies offering something that seems too good to be true, because you are probably purchasing the aggravation of card problems and generally little else. Be a wise and prudent shopper, know your vendor, and understand exactly what you are buying, before you consider an online transaction. Use the links provided above to check out a purchase you may be considering, as it could well be worth your time.

Better to be safe than sorry is the phrase that comes to mind here. Please beware of online "opportunities".

thanks for reading