WITH the advent of electronic commerce (e-commerce) in the country, online shopping has slowly made its way to the Filipino buying culture. Today, more and more Internet-savvy consumers are stepping into “virtual retail outlets” to find a vast collection of products, ranging from the simple to novelty, or from cheap to classy.

With this, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urges consumers to continue their vigilance over electronic transactions after the practice boomed over the past years, as evidenced in the increasing number of consumers that are buying goods and services online.

While the convenience of online shopping should be appreciated, there are still certain risks to this kind of transaction, particularly the risk of being duped by identity theft and other Internet-related scams.

Since online shopping involves keying in sensitive information such as bank-account numbers and passwords, it is still better to be very wary than learn that virtual thieves have disappeared with your money.

Thus, the DTI shares some tips for consumers to remember in order to avoid being victims of online scams:

1. Never enter any account or identification number without initially checking if the web site is secure.

§          Look for a closed minipadlock displayed at the bottom of your Internet browser. If there is none, or if the lock is open, don’t risk it. Just leave the web site and look for another.

§          The web site address at the top of the screen should start with https:// instead of the usual http://.

§          Beware of unprofessional looking or poorly designed web sites.

2. Avoid web sites that do not provide adequate information.

§          This includes terms of warranty, return or refund; merchant’s full address and contact numbers; shipping fees and delivery charges.

§          Always read the privacy and security policies to learn how a merchant processes your order.

§          If there is any, go over the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list.

3. Refrain from providing irrelevant personal data such as your Social Security Number, annual income and hobbies. In online transaction forms, blanks necessary to be filled out are often marked with a red asterisk.

4. Most legitimate web sites can be accessed only by its members, which means one can sign in and enter only with a user name and password. When choosing a password, avoid birthdates, nicknames and other publicly known information. As much as possible, never reveal your password to anyone.

5. If it is too good to be true, it probably is. Some web sites may offer counterfeit, substandard or used products while others may trick you into falling for a scam. Thus, be wary of overstated claims, suspicious promotional offers and unusually low pricing. If in doubt, contact the merchant or manufacturer.

6. Not all people can afford to own a credit card. But when shopping online, paying by this mode is much safer. Remember to document your transactions by keeping printed copies of the confirmation message. This usually states customer information, item description and quantity, total cost and confirmation number.

Meanwhile, the DTI assures consumers that online transactions are also covered by the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394) through provisions of the E-Commerce Act (RA 8792) of 2000.

RA 8792 Section 33 (c) states that “violations of the Consumer Act and other relevant or pertinent laws through transactions covered by or using electronic data messages or electronic documents, shall be penalized with the same penalties as provided in those laws.”

The trade department further reminds online sellers that the Consumer Act protects the public against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices. The law also requires businesses to provide sufficient information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper exercise of rights by the consumers.

Furthermore, the DTI urges online selling companies to have adequate means of redress in the form of a complaint-handling mechanism so that complaints are immediately and effectively addressed.

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WITH the advent of electronic commerce (e-commerce) in the country, online shopping has slowly made its way to the Filipino buying culture. Today, more and more Internet-savvy consumers are stepping into “virtual retail outlets” to find a vast collection of products, ranging from the simple to novelty, or from cheap to classy.