Shopping on Amazon & Safe Shopping

What We’ll Cover & Why Topic: Purpose: Creating an Amazon account To have access to an online store with a seemingly endless list of products Shopping on Amazon To be able to purchase things that may or may not be found at stores near you with the click of a mouse! How to shop safely on the internet To avoid sharing your credit card number and other valuable information with scammers on the internet.

Creating an Amazon Account Go to www.amazon.com, click on “sign-in” in the top left corner of the page, then click “Start Here” Fill in the required information, then click “Create account”

Shopping on Amazon Log into your account by hovering clicking on “Your Account,” then “Sign in” Then fill in the boxes that appear, and click on “Sign in using our secure server”

Let’s say you want a new toaster Let’s say you want a new toaster. Then you’ll go to “Departments” in the upper left-hand corner, click on “Home, Garden & Tools,” then go to the pop-up menu and click on “Kitchen and Dining,” then click on “toasters”

From looking at the product itself, you’ll see -what the product looks like, and if there are any variations that you can look at -what the product is called -its price when you buy it from Amazon (and if you save anything off retail price) -when you can expect to get it, or how many are left in stock -what other Amazon customers are saying about the product When you see a product you like, click on its name. You’ll see a list of toasters available, and on the left-hand side of the screen, you’ll see a series of options to narrow your search such as: Color, company or brand, reviews by Amazon customers, price range, or vender

Here, you'll see more information about the product Here, you'll see more information about the product. If you want to buy it, click the drop-down menu marked "QTY“ (quantity) to select how many of this product you want.  Then click Add to Cart. If this is the only thing you want to buy, click Proceed to Checkout.

Now you have to pick an address that you want Amazon to send your delivery to.  If you don't have one, you'll have to create a new one.  Complete the additional requirements, then click Continue. On the left, you'll see your order summary.  On the right, you'll be asked to select what kind of shipping you want (if applicable).  Click the button next to the type you want.  Usually, the faster the shipping speed, the more it will cost you.  When you're done, click Continue

On the next screen, you can review your order and make any final changes, including the type of shipping you want.  If you're happy with what you have, click Place Your Order Select your method of payment. In this instance, we’ll assume you’re using a credit card. Fill in the required information, click Add your card, then Continue

How to Shop Safely 1.  Look for the "HTTPS" protocol and other security signifiers. HTTPS is often used on web pages that require you to input sensitive information When you're shopping on an e-commerce website and go to check out, watch the address bar to see if web pages start using the HTTPS protocol. SSL is like a digital ID card that shows whether a website or web page is genuine, and that it will protect sensitive information that you enter. Check to see if the website is secure by looking for a little lock icon in the address bar.  Click on it, then on More Information about the website's Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate. 

2. Read the ratings and reviews on items and sellers. See if people have been happy with the item, and how trustworthy they think the person selling the item is.  Many online marketplaces allow people to rate and review specific items, but also rate and review the sellers themselves. Comparing ratings and reviews can weed scammers or phony products.

3.  Before you buy an item, read its returns and refunds policy carefully. Some scammers may attempt to trap buyers with strict policies, but not all people who have strict return/refund policies are scammers. However, it can definitely feel like you're getting scammed if you can't return or get a refund for an item because you didn't read the policies of the shopping website or the seller.  That's why it's important to read these policies, so that you know what you're getting into before you buy.

4.  If you don't feel safe using a credit card, explore alternative payment options. For most popular websites, using a credit card is safe, as they follow the security measures outlined in tip #1.  However, some websites will allow you to pay for items and services in a manner other than entering your credit card information if you’re uncomfortable with doing so. Many websites accept PayPal, a popular online transaction service used by people who do not want to input their credit card details into different e-commerce websites. You may also purchase things using gift cards, or have a friend use their credit card to buy things for you, then pay them back. For example, many accept PayPal, a popular online transaction service used by people who do not want to input their credit card details into different e-commerce websites.  Or you can make purchases using gift cards, or ask someone else to use their credit card to buy the

5.  Never complete or accept a payment for an item outside of the website that it's listed on. Paying (or accepting payment) for an item outside of the e-commerce website where that item is listed is a very easy way to get scammed, because you've lost the protection of a secure transaction environment, as well as the protection of having the e-commerce website receive a record of your transaction.  This means that your financial information might be vulnerable to being stolen, and it may be difficult for the e-commerce website that you bought the item on to catch and take action against the scammer (since they don't have hard evidence of the person doing anything wrong).

Thank you! For more information, please visit tech4tomorrow.org Questions? E-mail info@tech4tomorrow.org Thank you for joining us! Like us on Facebook! @Technology for Tomorrow Visit www.tech4tomorrow.org/calendar-of-events/ for upcoming workshops Special thanks to our partner: