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Keep Credit Information Safe While Shopping Online, Says AAA

9 December 1998

Keep Credit Information Safe While Shopping Online, Says AAA

    ORLANDO, Fla.--Dec. 9, 1998--Holiday shoppers are expected to spend $2.3 billion online, and while the internet can make shopping easier, it can also lead to credit card fraud, cautions AAA.
    "With consumer confidence in the economy high, shoppers won't be afraid to use credit cards during the holidays," said Ed Feder, chief executive officer of AAA's Financial Services. "Shopping online can be safe if consumers are cautious and follow a few basic steps to increase their security."
    To safeguard your credit and purchases, AAA offers these tips:

o First, use merchants you are familiar with. Web sites can be
    located through a search engine, a catalog or by calling the
    local store. o Read the guarantees, warranties, return policies and delivery
    policies on the merchant's home page. Find out if you can return
    an item for a refund or credit. o Read the merchant's privacy statement. It should tell you how the
    personal information you provide will be used and whether or not
    it could be sold to other companies. If you don't like what you
    see, find another merchant. o Look for Web site security information. Some Web sites may
    include information on their encryption capabilities on the home
    page (40-bit encryption is standard and 128-bit is state of the
    art). o Check with your credit card issuer to find out whether they have
    a purchase protection policy that includes online purchases. Some
    cards protect the buyer if an item is lost, stolen or damaged in
    delivery. o Keep records of online transactions. Print out the online
    confirmation of your order and save it just as you would save a
    receipt from a store. o Finally, if you are concerned about an online merchant, contact
    the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) or other consumer agency
    for more information.


    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 93 clubs with 1,100 offices in the United States and Canada providing more than 41 million members with services such as travel, financial, insurance and auto-related.


    Note: The $2.3 billion figure is from research by Jupiter Communications, www.jup.com.

    AAA news releases can be downloaded from http://www.aaa.com