Security
& Privacy
When you shop from
home, bear in mind that you often have to give more information
to the trader than you would if you were in a shop.This could
include your name, address, postcode, phone number (land-line),
email address and credit card details. Remember that the information
you give to a trader, even via the internet can't be given
to anyone else without your agreement.
If the company you're
buying from wants to pass on your email addres to someone
else, it must also give you the right to say no. This is often
done with a tick box on the paperwork. Make sure you do this
if you do not want your name passed on.
There are a number
of things you can do to ensure more safety when paying for
goods:
- Try not to give
your bank account numbers, credit card details or any other
personal information to a company you haven't checked out.
- Use credit cards or cheques. Postal Orders are ok at a push
but never send cash.
- If you have to send cash, use registered post.
- Keep a copy of your order and a note of when you sent it.
- If you pay for goods or services costing more than £100
on your credit card (even if you only pay the deposit), you
may have a claim against the credit card issuer as well as
against the trader if you have a complaint. This can be useful
if the trader goes out of business.
- If someone uses your payment card fraudulently to shop from
home without your permission, you can cancel the payment and
your card company must arrange for your account to be re-credited
in full.
- If you discover that someone has used your card dishonestly,
tell the card issuer as soon as possible.
Unwanted emails
(Spam)
If you want to stop companies sending you unwanted emails
(known as spam), register with the Direct
Marketing Association's email preference service. You
can also try your internet service provider (ISP) as they
can often trace the sources and put a block on future mailings.
There are many spam filters and bulk mail/junk blockers available
that you can install on your computer/email inbox, but be
very careful when using these - they sometimes struggle to
differentiate between spam and legitimate mail that you actually
want to receive.
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