common sense shopping tips

buySAFE's advice for keeping online shopping safe and affordable.

before you buy

1. Become familiar with the merchant’s terms of sale, including shipping costs, return policies and accepted payment methods.
2. Always verify the validity of any third-party endorsements that a merchant claims to have (i.e. guarantees, payment providers, escrow services)
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online security threat glossary

Terms you should know to keep aware of evolving online security threats.

bid shielding

The practice of placing a low bid in an online auction and having a second person enter a bid that is high enough to discourage other bidders. At the last second, a high bid is retracted and the low bid wins. Here's how it works: One person bids $10 for a book and has a friend quickly bid $500, assuming that no one will overbid the inflated price. The high bidder retracts the bid at the last minute, giving the first person a $10 deal.

bid siphoning

In an online auction, the practice of contacting shoppers or bidders and offering to sell them the same item they are currently bidding on, thus drawing bidders away from the legitimate seller's auction or marketplaces. Avoid contact with sellers attempting to draw you away from the marketplace, as these types of transactions often end up going bad because they do not have the monitoring or protections available in online auction marketplaces.

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