Internet Businesses

[billie]

Hi brothers and sisters.

I'm considering buying something of considerable value from an Internet business, but I'm wondering. How can I tell if the business is legit before I give them my money? I'd hate to lose all this money and find out this is a scam.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks beloved.

[Guest LadyC]

well a good starting point is to be sure that you're ordering from a secured website. does it start with https:// (note the 's' on the end) does it display a 'verisign' symbol, or a symbol from some other resource which encrypts personal information? and if not, does it allow you to purchase using paypal or a similar site, so that your information is kept private from the site you are purchasing from? (for example, i have an internet business, and i didn't have the means or the inititiative to purchase SSL and all the other necessary things needed for processing credit cards, so my site ONLY accepts paypal payments. this way the customer's information is secure and i'm not worried about the responsibility for having that sort of info. ebay sellers often do the same thing, accepting paypal only.) does the URL for the site start with a string of numbers? if it does, steer clear.

also, you can google the business name to see if there are people who have posted negative feedback about it on other sites, boards, blogs, etc.

because people can easily set up business online without going through their city or state for a business license, it's not always an easy thing to get information on them anywhere BUT the internet. the BBB probably won't have any record of them. even the internet equivalent of the BBB may not... although there IS an internet equivalent, and some businesses do register with them. if they are registered, they'll have a seal from the BBBOnline displayed.

speaking of the BBBOnline, they have a search feature that will allow you to search their database for any negative reports. they also have some information about how to tell if a website is legit.

[Amhis]

well a good starting point is to be sure that you're ordering from a secured website. does it start with https:// (note the 's' on the end)

Just to eliminate any confusion, the secure part of the site is when you go to the page to start your order, like a site with a shopping cart. The main part of the site will usually not have, or need securing and will have the standard http and not the https. Only the actual pages you order on has the https... Maybe you can post the name of the site here to see if anyone here has ever used them...

[MAYBEBREE]

try visiting http://www.ripoffreport.com

and doing a search for their name.

you can also google their name under scam and their business name.

[LadyRaven]

Hi brothers and sisters.

I'm considering buying something of considerable value from an Internet business, but I'm wondering. How can I tell if the business is legit before I give them my money? I'd hate to lose all this money and find out this is a scam.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks beloved.

Google the business name. People who have been scammed have a tendency to blab on the internet. Even with a legit company it does not mean it is the right place for you, and hearing people on the net talk about it will help you decide.

Look up the business in the BBB too. If you have a lawyer friend, have him or her look over the material for you before you sign anything or spend a red cent. My lawyer will look over things like this for a twenty, sometimes for a "free consultation" if he feels like it.

[AndrewA]

you can also check the WHOIS information on the website, this is a good place to do this. http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp IF the company claims to be American etc and you find the domain name registration details dosnt tie up or seems suspect then you should have alarm bells ringing. For example if this buisness is claiming to be a small company in USA, but the whois info shows its registered to someone and resides on a server in Africa or Eastern Europe, then chances are it could be bogus.

Most credit cards and now even banks with thier debt cards do insure you against internet fraud. Why dont you check your details, knowing you do have protection and a way of getting most or all your money back will make this a bit less of a worry.