This Black Friday, many people skipped the early morning mad rush to the doors of their favorite department store. Instead they chose to shop in the comfort of their own homes on Cyber Monday.
With Cyber Monday kicking off in just a few hour, comparison search engine SortPrice.com has released “10 Commandments” every online shopper should follow to ensure a safe, secure, and most of all, productive shopping experience as they comb the internet for gifts this Monday and every day.

“We’re committed to enhancing the e-commerce experience for everyone and part of that responsibility is educating people about the right way to shop online,” said Doron Simovitch, SortPrice.com’s co-founder and CEO. “With so many people turning to the internet now for deals, it’s more important than ever that shoppers keep their safety and security in mind when using the web during the holidays.”

You can be safe while enjoying your online shopping experience this season with SortPrice’s 10 Commandments for Holiday Shopping.

• Update your home computer’s anti-virus software and security tools before you start shopping, and if using a wireless connection, make sure it’s encrypted with a password.
• Be thorough in your research: utilize all the resources the internet provides, compare prices and search for online-only bargains to guarantee that you’re saving money.
• Order in advance to ensure you don’t get hurt by holiday shipping delays and check stock availability for a given product before you place an order.
• Use credit cards instead of debit cards. You’ll be better protected from fraud and face less liability in the event of your card number being stolen
• Carefully review every online retailer’s terms and conditions as well as their return policies, as they vary industry-wide.
• Create or update new online passwords that are unique and difficult to steal. Avoid pet names, birthdays, etc. and incorporate numbers and characters.
• Shop only on certifiably secure websites: look for ‘https://’ URLs that indicate secure connections when placing orders and entering personal information.
• Be diligent about where you disclose personal information including phone numbers, addresses and financial information and avoid unverifiable entities.
• Look for delivery guarantees from online retailers and always keep hard copies of email confirmations of orders and delivery status.
• Beware of certain promotional emails requesting personal information or promising a special deal as they could be part of a ‘phishing’ scam.

((Pictured: Ringspun Microcotton Hand Towel Sortprice.com)