Ordering Online Can Be Fast, Reliable, and Safe

For some people, shopping online is as natural as driving a car. If you’re a newbie to online purchasing or if you’re used to certain merchant sites but are skittish about dealing with florists you don’t know, here are some basic guidelines to make your online shopping experience as safe and secure as possible.

Look for a BBB emblem

The Better Business Bureau offers the use of its logo to qualifying businesses who have been in business for over a year and uphold the basic guidelines of the BBB. However, not every reputable business is a BBB member (it costs many hundreds of dollars a year to be a member). You can also call the BBB to see if there are complaints with the company.

Look for a secure server

A secure server is usually identified by a little “lock” icon that appears on-screen, normally in the bottom left hand corner of your browser. (It may sometimes appear in the top right or another location). A secure server assures that your credit card information can be transmitted safely from your keyboard to the vendor. Even if somebody were able to hack into the file, they could not read your credit card data.

Look for a physical address

An online business does not necessarily have to have a brick-and-mortar alter ego to be real, but there should be a physical address and phone number on the site somewhere. It’s usually contained in the “Contact Us” or “About Us” area. If this is not immediately obvious to you, keep looking. Sometimes these sections are only accessible from a small link at the bottom of the page. While you’re there, see if there is sales or legal information. For instance, does the site offer any guarantee? Does it tell you who to call if you’re not satisfied?

If possible, try to get a referral

This is not always an option, but if you’re nervous about buying online talk to somebody else who has done business with that particular website.

When in doubt, call

Many websites also offer toll-free or regular phone numbers to call for a phone order option. If you’re worried about the online experience but are convinced the florist is reputable, call and place your order that way.

Relax

Although identity theft and computer fraud are real problems, most websites are actually extremely safe. Data you enter is encrypted or put into secret code, so that even if someone could access the information, they could not really “see” it. In fact, ordering online may actually be safer than giving your credit card to a waiter in a crowded restaurant (and letting him disappear with it for 20 minutes while you wait).

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