Our overriding philosophy behind everything we do is this: “treat customers the way we’d want to be treated ourselves.”   And we’re serious about it.  A big part of this commitment is how we handle payments and customer information.  We do nothing with your details that we would not be happy to see done with our own.

We want you to be safe while buying online.  Here’s our quick run-down of the issues you need to be aware of when purchasing over the internet:

Credit Card Safety

Never send your credit card details via email.

Be careful not to use your credit card on public or shared computers, such as internet cafes.  These could be installed with keylogger software to record your credit card number and other personal information.

Make sure the page you enter your credit card details into is served over a secure connection.  The URL in your address bar should begin with “https://” and your browser should also be displaying a padlock icon somewhere.

Using PayPal Safely

PayPal is the world’s most popular payment system.  As such, they offer a fantastic Buyer Protection Program and have one of the best anti-fraud teams in the industry.  Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile taking a few basic precautions when buying with PayPal.

As with using a credit card, you should avoid using your PayPal account on public or shared computers.  Keylogger software could steal your login information and password.

Be sure to log out of your PayPal account after you have finished using it.

Monitor your account.  You should check through your transactions at least once per month to spot any suspicious activity.  Scammers rely on the fact that a lot of people don’t pay much attention to their account.  They will often try to steal a couple of dollars from you here and there, and then when those go unreported they’ll then go for a bigger score.

Be very wary of any emails you get that look like they’re from PayPal.  So-called “phishing” scams that direct you to a scam site that looks like the real PayPal website to steal your login details are common.  Do not click the links in these emails.  When using PayPal to purchase from Outdoor Living Direct, we will always direct you to the real PayPal site.

Secure Bank Transfers

As with using a credit card or PayPal, you should avoid logging in to your bank account on public or shared computers.  Keylogger software could steal your login information and password.

As with emails that look like they’re from PayPal, emails that look like they’re from your bank might also be a phishing scam.  Be wary of any suspicious emails and be careful that you never type your login information into any website unless you are certain that it’s really your bank’s website.  The best way to be certain that you are using your bank’s real website is to type the URL into the address bar yourself.

Malware

Malware is a broad term that covers computer viruses, trojans, spyware, adware and other forms of intrusive software written to make your life worse.  One type of malware called a “keylogger trojan” records your keystrokes; this can potentially be used to steal your passwords or credit card number.  This means you might be at risk even if the website you are using is 100% legit.  Other types of malware aren’t written to steal your passwords or credit card information, but can still slow your computer down or just generally be an immense nuisance in all manner of creative and annoying ways.

The good news here is that the most you usually need to do to stay free of malware is to regularly scan your computer with a reliable, up-to-date anti-malware program.  Malwarebytes offer a free version of their anti-malware scanner, and it’s excellent.

Conclusion

With a sensible amount of caution about what sites you deal with, and some judicious digital hygiene, you can manage your risks and stay safe online.  We’re on your side here: we despise internet scammers.

For further reading on safe internet use, browse to Stay Smart Online.