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Legal, pensions and money

Safest way to Buy on Line

(83 Posts)
Sparkling Sun 17-May-20 06:58:01

I have never used the Internet to buy anything, very nervous because of fraud. Lock down has made it necessary to bite the bullet. Has anyone got advice for me, should I open Pay Pal or buy by credit or debit card. Thank you.

Calendargirl Sat 23-May-20 09:49:37

Several years ago, I had a fraudulent entry on my current account, all sorted and refunded quickly.

I said to the fraud chap dealing with it that I couldn’t work out how it had happened. He said that he had cancelled his own PayPal account recently, but didn’t elaborate.

Put me off PayPal after that, but DS uses it a lot, as do many others.

Franbern Sat 23-May-20 09:33:27

Like many others I have used internet banking for some years, never had any problems. Prior to that, (back in the old days), had problems when someone stole a cheque book and the bank paid out on a cheque from that. Despite the fact that it was a very unusual payment form my account, the bank did not pick this up and I had to point this out to them. Their fraud department did eventually give me that money back.

Only once every had problems with my Barclaycard - and their fraud dept picked up some unusual quite small payments before I did and contacted me about them. They sent me a new card, and it was all sorted out so quickly and efficiently - I was most impressed.

I tend to purchase nearly everything with that credit card these days (it is paid off in full each month - so costs me nothing).

Three times, in the last few weeks, I have had problems with companies. One a cancelled hotel booking - well in advance (due to lockdown), but they still took money for it. Thank goodness, it was on my barclaycard, and I appealed it through them, completed their form showing prove of my cancellation, etc. and BC have refunded that money to me.

I can check both my bank account and barclaycard accounts daily (and do, most days), on my phone or on my laptop.

I feel these are very secure and means- when I am out and about, rarely take much cash with me. With contactless payment in shops it is also means that I do not even have to touch the machines at the tills.

chimes22 Wed 20-May-20 12:20:24

I use my credit card for all purchases as it gives a reward that adds up quite nicely. I pay in full every month

Brahumbug Mon 18-May-20 23:02:28

@Lucy127. If you use your credit card through PayPal then you have lost your section 75 protection on the card. The credit card dies not have to refund you.
I use PayPal and credit cards. PayPal for purchases under £100 and anything over £100 on a credit card so that I have full protection. PayPal will not help with faulty goods or traders going out of business.

Christingle Mon 18-May-20 06:54:12

Pay pal every time. I have had it for years and extremely safe.

Merryweather Sun 17-May-20 18:25:29

PayPal offers the best protection at buying on the internet from fraud and offers a buyers guarantee if the item doesn’t arrive or is damaged/defective.

grannie7 Sun 17-May-20 17:16:23

I have used PayPal for years,as your credit card is only held by one firm.I have problems where things have gone wrong ie goods not arriving etc but one call to PayPal money was refunded at once.
In fact apart from M&S I won’t buy anything online if they don’t take PayPal even credit cards can go wrong.

Kim19 Sun 17-May-20 16:55:04

I opened a debit card account particularly/only for purchases under £100. I simply make the purchase and then transfer the amount from my main account to replenish the deduction. That way limits financial damage (which hasn't happened yet - many years). Anything over £100, I use my cc as long as the site has a padlock atop.

Bijou Sun 17-May-20 16:38:16

Being practically housebound for some time I don’t know how I would manage without on line shopping. Always deal with reputable companies. On one occasion I entered the wrong credit card number. Which I then rectified. Had a phone call from the bank, First Direct, to verify it was me making the payment.

Plunkie Sun 17-May-20 16:34:16

Buy on -line as long as there is a picture of a padlock on the website in bottom right hand corner.

Sparkling Sun 17-May-20 16:28:21

Thank you for all your informative posts it has reassured me enough to give it a go.

NannyC2 Sun 17-May-20 15:50:57

I won't buy on line, although my husband does!
I never used smart, zap shopping before, but I do now. You are the one to pick up the product, pop straight into your bag after zapping, no waiting in queues - just pay by card and done!
If it is an order, presumably someone has to go round and fill a box, pass to someone else to take to a van and then deliver. (More people involved in handling)?

Van-Nan Sun 17-May-20 15:19:40

I’ve been shopping online since it began. I usually use PayPal. Probably the most important way to protect yourself is to have proper complex passwords - unique to each online account you have. Use your device to remember the passwords or use a password keeping app. Hackers easily get past simple passwords that contain proper words.

Hollycat Sun 17-May-20 15:18:59

PayPal is excellent. I try to use them for everything on line.

WOODMOUSE49 Sun 17-May-20 14:42:00

Credit Card or PayPal are excellent.

Paypal sorted (3) problems. Refund every time.

I buy a lot of clothes and recently food on line, By off eBay for business / craft items, Again, eBay very good with their resolution centre.

CleoPanda Sun 17-May-20 14:38:36

I’ve used credit cards and Paypal for ever! Can’t remember a time when I didn’t buy online! Must be way more than 20 years.
I have never had a problem with my credit card or a Paypal. Bought literally thousands of items from books to kitchen items to paint, tools, furniture, cameras, binoculars and everything in between. ( have used Quidco too and had many hundreds of pounds back)
Always use reputable sites.
Always look for the secure checkout symbols.
Never save your payment details with the retailer.
If using a company that’s new to you, check out company details and TrustPilot reviews.
Double check your order details and P&P costs before submitting the order.
Check for expected delivery times before ordering.
Check the Returns policy.
Check the confirmation email matches your order. Keep it for future reference.
Be aware that on Amazon and eBay, many sellers try to present themselves as U.K. based but many are not and are often based in the Far East.

Vintagegirl Sun 17-May-20 14:37:01

Not sure if already mentioned but I have an account with 'online bank' and have a mastercard with that. I use it as handy for small items like a coffee as it has the 'chip/pin'. I also use online when possible. It instantly confirms with message to your phone that an amount is taken from it. I only keep a small amount there and top up as needed from main bank. This one is Monzo but Revolut it another one. When travelling it is handy to have spare card and also keep the main one out of use for small purchases.

GrannySomerset Sun 17-May-20 14:35:35

Amazon have stored by credit card details. How can I remove them?

rowyn Sun 17-May-20 14:31:11

Agree with most of what's been said re credit and debit cards. Not much experience of Paypal. Credit card is good in that you have some comeback if the goods go missing/ are faulty. Use the well known names,never use links to the websites, look for the padlock, never allow card details to be saved. Take your time at checkout and scrutinize all details carefully before committing..
Not so much a security thing, but check carefully re postage and packing charges. Use google to compare the price of something you want to buy, but be aware that the cheapest option may not be so once P&P is added.
Amazon is also tricky as you may think you have reached the amount that allows free P&P but then discover that not all items are sold directly by Amazon so there is a charge after all. Having said that, I find that Amazon is usually reliable and quite often cheaper. Another tip is to create a wishlist in Amazon and put in it things that you would like but aren't in a hurry for; sometimes you will later get a notification that the price has dropped.
I haven't checked, but if you go onto Martin Lewis's website - moneysavingexpert - there will be advice on there on how to shop online safely. And remember that you have the right to return items that you are not happy with - within a certain time. That's another thing to check; some firms allow you to return items for free, and some expect you to pay for return.
Once you start doing it you won't stop!Good luck!

Saggi Sun 17-May-20 13:57:17

I’ve been laying by credit card online for 4 years ( credit safer than debit) never had s problem . I also gave a Pay Pal account which is linked to same card...on which I make donations to charities!

scraggiesue Sun 17-May-20 13:44:52

I either use a credit card or pay with PayPal. I recently had a bad experience buying online (unusual I hasten to add, I do quite a bit of online shopping due to living in a rural location). I bought a large rug which was not delivered in the specified time. I tried calling the company and emailing to chase up my order but got no response. I opened a case through PayPal and fortunately, after a short while, my money was refunded to me. I think both PayPal and Credit card methods offer you protection. Hope this helps.

Moth62 Sun 17-May-20 13:41:59

Always pay with a credit card online, never a debit card. If things go pear-shaped or a fraudulent employee spends on it, it’s up to the credit card company to get it back and not you. Whereas, if you use a debit card, it’s coming straight from your own bank account. It’s just too risky.

lizzypopbottle Sun 17-May-20 13:37:57

Paying with PayPal means you don't have to put your credit card details into multiple websites.

lizzypopbottle Sun 17-May-20 13:35:29

You register a credit card with paypal.

lizzypopbottle Sun 17-May-20 13:34:51

Also, don't fall for any email purporting to be from providers unless they address you by name. My son gets spam/scam supposedly from PayPal informing him that his account has been 'limited' for some spurious reason. We laugh at the spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes but they can seem quite plausible to the inexperienced. Never follow links in email messages. Log in separately using your user name and password. It's easy to check the email address these messages are sent from, too. If it looks dodgy, don't risk it.