a. Location
If the physical location of the company is in a
reliable country the online shopping web site will receive a favorable
rating from Super Happy Shopper. Examples of reliable countries are the USA,
Canada, the UK, etc. Unreliable countries are usually located in South East
Asia, the former Soviet Union, Africa, etc.
b. In Operation Since
The longer the company has been operating the better.
If they have been in business for a number of years, they must be doing
something right!
c. Privacy Policy
A clear and concise privacy policy describes the type
of information collected from a customer, the reason the information is
collected, and who will have access to the information. See the
Super Happy Shopper privacy
policy, for example. Merchants should make it easy for customers to "opt
out" of being placed on any third-party lists (for example, a conveniently
placed checkbox to indicate lack of consent). The merchant should not ask
for more information that is required to place an order (name, address,
phone number, e-mail address, billing and credit card information) without
stating the purpose. If the extra information is to be used for
personalization, the site must offer an easy way to opt out of such
personalization as well.
Super Happy Shopper reads through a web site's privacy
policy and scrutinizes every word. Our legal department looks for any
discrepancies that may exist. We sign up for newsletters and notifications
and monitor them. We also "opt out" of any lists offered and verify that we
are taken off of the list. We thoroughly test, and opt out of, the web sites
personalization features, if applicable. During all of this, we watch for an
increase of spam (junk email) and attempt to trace it origins. See the
Super Happy Shopper privacy
policy, for example.
Good web sites:
- Do not share any information with third parties
unless the customer gives explicit consent to do so. Customers should have
to opt in rather than having to opt out of a information sharing (or
selling) agreement.
- State that they will honor their current privacy
policy in the future. Or, if they change it, state that they will notify
customers and provide a quick and easy opt-out system.
- Qualify and enrol in well-known trust seal
programs and display the appropriate logo on their web site.
d. Security Policy
A clear and concise security policy that describes the
security system used by the web site to ensure the safety of a customer's
credit card and personal information.
Super Happy Shopper reads through a web site's
security policy statement and makes sure the web site conforms to their
claims and compares the results to industry standards. We also check and
verify the web site's secure socket layer (SSL) and digital certificate. See
the Super Happy Shopper
Guide to Safe Online Shopping.
Good web sites:
- Have a policy to cover the first $50 of any
fraudulent charge arising from a transaction at their site.
e. Secure Socket Layer
Web sites should use a state-of-the-art
security system (for example, a secure socket layer). When placing an order,
there should be an indication of security on the screen in the form of a
small locked padlock icon or an unbroken key icon in the lower left (or
right-hand corner) of the browser window. Also, the "http" URL in the
address field of the browser should change to "https" (note the added "s")
when you are working within a secure section of the web site. See
safe online shopping for more information.
f. Digital Certificate
Good security on an online shopping web
site must include a valid and matching digital certificate. See
safe online shopping for more information.
g. Trust Seal Enrolment
Another good indication that the web site
you are about to shop on is enrolment in a recognized trust seal program.
In order for the online shopping website to qualify for the trust seal it
must pass a rigorous testing procedure and contain various vital components,
such as a proper privacy policy statement.
h. Site Identification
Site identification information should
include contact details such as a physical address, telephone number, fax
number, and an e-mail address. See the
Super Happy Shopper contact us page, for example. Company ownership
and/or affiliations should be clearly identified and easy to find.
One of the first thing Super Happy
Shoppers looks for is proper web site and company identification and contact
details. A sure sign of something amiss is the lack of proper methods of
contact the business directly.
i. Business Relationships
Web sites should disclose information
about business relationships they may have with sponsors, advertisers,
affiliate programs, and other third-party business partners. There should be
a clear and concise statement listing all third-party partners, along with
an explanation of the depth of each business relationship. Advertisements
should be easily distinguished from web site content with a box, banner, or
some other obvious means.
Super Happy Shopper examines the online
catalogue's business relationships and reports on any unscrupulous
activities, or any valuable relationships that can benefit the online
shopper.
Good web sites:
- Have an especially clear statement about
third-party business relationships.
- Provide assurances that advice, information, and
tools found on the site are objective/unbiased and state that any
advertiser, sponsor, or other business relationships are kept entirely
separate from, and have no influence on, web site content.
Super Happy Shopper expects the links to all the
safety information mentioned above to be easy to find. At the very least,
links to this information should be found on the web site's home page and on
other relevant pages (for example, security and customer service information
should be accessible during order placement).
j. Testimonials
Read what other customer have said about the products
and services offered by the web site you are about to buy from. This is a
good indication of things to come.
See also:
Safety
Usability
Shopping System
Customer Service
Online Service or
Informational Web Sites
