Few things are as exciting as getting that package you ordered online delivered to your doorstep. You excitedly checked out of your online shopping cart; diligently and painstakingly, you entered the shipping details before making the transaction using your payment card; and you await the arrival of your prized new possession. But what if the delivery day has arrived and gone, yet there is no sign of your anticipated order? Don’t fret, you’re not alone. According to the MasterCard’s Safety and Security Index, up to 31% of shoppers worry about their orders not being delivered at all, with 10% having experienced it.
Despite this worry, consumers in Southeast Asia have been increasingly active online. A whopping 80% of consumers made online transactions within a three-month period in 2015. But how do you keep on doing your beloved online shopping with excitement instead of anxiety?
1. To shop with a peace of mind, look out for security badges on the checkout page before you proceed to purchase your item. This ensures that the retailer meets the industry security standards.
2. Take note of your retailers’ customer support services. This can be by way of a telephone number, an online chat box or an address on the checkout page. Having someone you can contact is reassuring, just in case there are any problems with your order.
3. If you are shopping on the go and worried about the reliability of the mobile app you’re using, make sure you only download apps by trusted app creators and well-known shopping websites. It also helps to read reviews and ratings before you download the app to ensure its legitimacy.
4. Speaking of mobile shopping, use mobile anti-virus protection on your cell phone! It adds an extra layer of safety by protecting any sensitive information and offering lost-device security.
5. Last but not least, always check that your connection to a website is secure. Look out for a green padlock on the side of your address bar and an ‘s’ at the start of the web address (https:// instead of http://). This signals that the website is encrypted, which protects your personal information from non-secure sites.
In the rare case that your order is indeed missing, here’s what you can do to make it right:
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Notify the merchant immediately to locate your order or request for a refund. Go prepared and expedite the process by providing your order number and receipt. The sooner, the better!
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If the merchant doesn’t respond to you within a reasonable time frame and you notice you’ve been charged for the order, provide your bank with proof of the merchant’s non-responsiveness (email or paper trails of correspondence) and the transaction being charged to your account. Take care to remove confidential information like account or card numbers. Your bank should have you covered with liability protection!
Delivery delays are common, but they are no small matter when they affect your payments. When you are armed with payment security know-hows, you can shop with a peace of mind.
Visit www.mastercard.com/sea/consumer/card-security.html to learn more about how you can empower yourself with more payments-related safety and security tips.
Karina is not your ordinary supermom. She juggles her time bonding with her three amazing kids while being in the loop on the latest happenings in the tech and lifestyle scene. Follow me on Instagram (@digitalfilipina) regularly visit www.digitalfilipina.com for daily dose of updates not just for moms but for everyone!
