Do NOT use a debit card for buying online. Get a dedicated credit card, but nothing with access to your checking account. If you buy from reputable companies, you should be just fine. You can easily dispute a charge on a credit card, but that's a lot harder to do with a debit card.

I buy online all the time - Ebay, Hanes, Coldwater Creek, LL Bean, LandsEnd, Amazon, Licorice International, SimplyAudio books, Christmas Treasures, several pet supply sites, Trappist Abbey fruitcakes, several online hardware stores for various parts I can't find in the box hardware stores, Bare Escentuals, QVC, harp supplies, Naturalizer shoes, Nordstrom, Macys, Overstock.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bath & Body Works - EVERYTHING!

I have never had a problem using my credit card. You need to look for an "s" in the URL when you are directed to checkout. The URL will look like this: https://

The "s" in the address indicates you are on a secure server.

The other suggestion is to get a paypal account. More and more commercial stores are taking paypal as an option for payment. Using paypal means your credit card information is stored in one place only and you don't use it on every site you purchase on.

I've been on paypal since 1999 and have never had a problem with it, using either a credit card or a direct transfer from my bank account.

I have been buying online for years and prefer the sites that use PayPal, but have used credit cards on some sites that were secure (as tally said).
My last online purchase was with WalMart. It was my first time to order from them and was happy that they use PayPal. Within a week I had my item.

I think more and more stores are going to online purchasing and closing brick and mortar stores. For one thing it's probably more cost effective for them to have one central order taking and distribution operation than to staff several stores in many locations.

They also don't have to carry as much inventory because it's all centralized. They don't have to inventory the assortments in individual stores.

I think online buying is the wave of the future, especially in tough times when many companies are closing down store locations. Some of the store sites are now carrying merchandise exclusive to the website because they don't want to stock it in every single store.

Yes, you hear about scams and identity thefts, but rarely because of a legitimate store site. Mostly it's people clicking on e-mail links and then entering all their information into a phishing site (like poor paleblue). Or not shredding their personal information before they throw their statements away in the trash.

Ditto Tally's post for me.
I use my credit, which provides protection against fraudulent use, and have never had any problem.

I agree with Tally too.

I find buying online saves me money too since I can almost always find a coupon code for a percentage off or free shipping. Plus there are lots of price comparison sites which means I can find the lowest price and also check reviews of the company I decide to buy from. I also don't have to pay tax at most sites.

It also makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for... I am tall and it is hard to find tall sizes in the stores, but easy online.

I do most of my shopping online and haven't had a problem yet.

Yes, I think you're the only one. :-)

I started out just buying from places like HP, well know business and now I buy from Amazon. I will not buy from an individual for anything of real value. I did buy some TV DVDs of Early Edition from a place I was not familar with and ended up getting pirated DVD's from China, won't do that again.

I use my debit card that has the Visa logo on it, goes through just like a credit card without the interest rate. I've never had a problem buying on-line and have been using one for over 10 years now.

I like the convenience of buying on-line, especially around Christmastime. Amazon is wonderful, fast, free shipping on a lot of their products, easy return if you have a problem.

Kathsgrdn, check with your bank and ask if they treat a debit transaction the exact same way as they do a credit card transaction WRT fraud and complaints. Many banks have updated their policies, but many would NOT cover you if you protested the transaction, ie didn't get your merchandise or got the wrong thing. The money is simply taken out of your account.

The Visa logo has to do with merchant processing and is NOT the same as using a credit card WRT the customer.

A guide to the differences between credit and debit cards.

Here is a link that might be useful: debit vs credit

I resisted having a credit card for years, but then gave in because there were so many things we had to drive MILES to get, and which were readily available on-line. I have never had a problem with theft. I have ordered garden seeds, books, bee-keeping supplies, and lots of other things, but always from reputable companies with a land address as well as a web address.
If there is a problem with bad/wrong merchandise, your credit card company will go to bat for you. If you pay off your card each month, as we do, the cost of buying on-line is less than driving to a store and rummaging through the inventory!
I have used PayPal once, to get chicks, and all went smoothly. I'd not hesitate to use PayPal again.

During the holidays, I buy about 95% of my gifts online and unless I need something immediately, online shopping is my first choice.
If you don't want to own a credit card, do as Tally suggests and get a Pay Pal account. Don't use a debit card.

Shelia, you may be in the minority but I am with you. I do shop online when I have to but I try very hard to support my local economy. I try to shop at smaller, locally owned businesses but even if it is thru big box stores at least they are employing local people. Sometimes saving $5 can be the most expensive $5 one ever saved.

I do online buying for my quilting fabrics because I don't have any good quilting stores near me. I also buy books at Amazon but if I see one in Barnes & Noble or Costco I will pick it up there. I also buy my bras, casual women's clothing, sometimes shoes (like Crocs), and sometimes cosmetics online. I've shopped at everything from L.L.Bean to my favorite olive oil company online and I've never had a problem. The one time I did have a problem is many years ago when I bought some art supplies using my DEBIT card. The number was stolen and before I knew it $550 dollars was taken out of my checking account!! Of course it was completely covered but what if I had been out of town and had not looked at my balance (like I do every morning??) I could have been wiped out in a matter of days...causing all kinds of problems with the people I had sent checks to. Never, never use your debit card for online shopping. And when you use it anywhere always say it's a credit transaction. That way the slip is signed by you and you don't have to input your PIN number in front on anyone. The only time I use my debit card is at Trader Joes...and it never leaves my hand.

Susan

Absolutely don't use a debit card online. Dh and I discovered that someone had gone on a shopping spree with our credit card about two weeks ago. We aren't sure where this person got our info because we have tried to be careful. It looks like whoever did it is a professional because they were making charges with an actual credit card in purchases around $250. DH and I still had both of our cards. The credit card company is investigating and so far we haven't been financially impacted. It'd be a different story with a debit card.

Wow! So much great info and advice. Thanks everyone. Now please explain to me why Paypal is so safe. I did sign up for a Paypal account a couple years ago but then got cold feet and never have used it. It's just sitting there and I keep going back and forth about whether I should close it since I had to enter bank info, that made me very uneasy. My daughter has been using a Debit card for about 4 yrs now (Visa) thru our local bank and she swears by it. I'm always passing on info I hear on current identity theft that has occurred because she is 24 and I worry that she is not being as cautious as she should. I do know that recently our bank sent her a new card out of the blue and when she called to ask why they told her that her's was flagged along with others as possible security breaches so they played it safe and sent her a new one. They told her she should have gotten some sort of notification via mail. Which she may have but over looked it she is not the most organized person,lol. Drives me nuts! I'm a big worrier what with having a young child with multiple special medical needs the last thing we need is identity theft. DH tried awhile back to get me to order a tractor part via my Paypal acct when he found out I had set one up but I wouldn't. I hate having to worry about slime out there preying on decent people because they are too sorry to hold down a decent job.

Paypal is safe because they hold your credit card and bank information, not the store.

When you purchase online from a store you select payment through paypal, you are then redirected to the paypal website, you input your personal password and user ID and paypal makes the payment to the store.

Paypal then bills your credit card. You can make multiple purchases from multiple stores, but only paypal has your credit info. It's not passed around store to store, because they get paid by paypal, not your credit card or bank account.

But, keep in mind not every store offers paypal as a payment alternative. If not, you still need to pay them directly with your credit card.

Sheila, paying online has become so enormously popular that it would never be successful if stores didn't use secure servers to protect your credit information. Everytime you write a check, the holder has your name, address and bank account number. Think about how safe that is :(

As for sending paypal your bank account info, yes I was a little scared at first, but in 10 years I have used both credit card and direct bank withdrawals via paypal and I have never, ever had an incident.

Like I said, it's in the company's interests to protect your information, otherwise their credibility would cost them their business.

Paypal doesn't give your credit card/bank info to the company you're buying from.....that makes it a little safer than giving that info to say like a half dozen online companies. I use it for Ebay but have only used it a couple of times for other online places. I didn't like the way Avon utilized it so went back to using CC there.

I have a low amount CC that I use exclusively for online shopping.

Thanks for the link, sushipup. I already knew most of that because of people on the KT sharing info over the years, but I like being refreshed in my knowledge. I use my debit card very little anywhere.

Good luck, Sheila, on what you decide to do. And as for your DD, I understand completely.........we're usually over concerned and they aren't concerned enough.

Shirley

I thank my mom for not being afraid of using credit. She used to call and order from Sears (before computers) and we would always have the latest o styles and things for the house.
I have bought on line and I use my credit card for everything including groceries and telephone and cable etc. then pay it off the end of the month I like getting those bonus cash checks from time to time when I build up enough points.

I have several CCs (never Debit!), but I only use one for all online shopping and bill paying, including PayPal. I specifically requested that the limit for this particular card be lowered to $1500 and locked in, just as an additional safety measure. I also do not carry this particular card in my wallet -- it stays home in a secure place.

I've never had any problems with CCs or security shopping online, and I've been doing so since 1997.

I shop online but I prefer to pay by phone so I can ask questions. Like is it in stock? How long for delivery? etc.

Sometimes with online purchases, you don't pay tax or S&H.

I've had a problem once with CC but through a phone pay for a bill. The person charged me x2. This was before online banking and I wouldn't have seen the damage before the statement arrived. I did get a letter from the company - they found the fraud through an audit of that person's work. My sister had a box of checks stolen from my mom's house when it was on the market long ago. The person was using her bank account to pay visa bills for people all over the country. She worked in banking and knew how to handle it through a bank, but this was on a Credit Union and at that time they didn't do much with Fraud and Theft. She once had her next door neighbor try to use her to cash checks this person had stolen from her Mom - sad because Mom was very elderly and on limited income, and son was best friends with my nephew. My sis could have lost her job, but luckily she followed procedures.

All this to say, fraud and theft can happen for any reason. My sister told me a long time ago - at least 30 years, that automated banking was coming and we all that that was the craziest thing. Now lifestyle is almost built around the convenience.

I am happy to hear that you have refrained because it can become a bad habit. I wouldn't worry, but just be cautious. If something doesn't look right, it probably isn't - just like email spam, viruses and the like. If you want to try, use a very reputable company - Amazon, QVC, HSN, that have good customer service departments and strong usage reports or that use paypal.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Paypal has been after me to put in my bank info. I refuse to do that. I don't recall what they call it, "verified" or something. I have it go through the credit card. I've used paypal a lot and only one problem. A guy from ebay ripped me off and paypal wouldn't charge him back "without an investigation" and I supposedly had to wait 30 days. Long story short I should have just challenged the charge, and like a dummy I didn't. I won't repeat that mistake. Live and learn. But overall Paypal is pretty good. There's others out there too, Google has one, I think they call it Google Checkout or something.

But you can have problems in a lot of ways. My old GF got some of her business checks stolen. The maintenance guy in the apartment pulled some random checks out of the box for her business account. Talk about a hassle! Put a freeze on the account and every time a check came in it froze the account longer. She had no access to the money fronted to her by our employer and she had to use that money for reimbursemetns and the like. So lesson be learned, LOCK UP your checks!

I don't buy online. Some years past I bought some sewing machines, but went through my daughter for the bidding and paying for it. I don't buy that many things for myself or others. I give money.

Sue

Use a credit card (Visa or Master, not Amex or Discover), keep receipts month to month, examine your bills carefully, and pay them off in full each month. I shop online on Ebay and Amazon, never had a problem. I prefer brick and mortar stores.