Giant E-stores vs Small Shops

Do not be so easily impressed by big-name online stores . And do not think that small online stores offer less in quality of goods and customer service. You will be surprised how big online stores can sometimes be less personal in their dealings with their customers. It is only logical that they do business the way they do. They get more customers and so business is done briskly. Small online stores are more eager to inject a personal touch to their business dealings as they have more time to spend on an order. This is not surprising. Small online shops have less money to spend on advertising and search engines. - thus they are not as easily found in the web, unlike their giant counterparts. Putting it bluntly, they get a lesser number of customers. Therefore, a new customer is always treated like gold by the small online shop, because such customers come like manna from heaven.

Now let me talk a little bit about how I manage my small shop, ShopDrops.Com. My online shop will always be a small shop. I prefer it that way. Sour grapes? Maybe so. But as I do all the work myself, I really cannot afford to manage a bigger shop. Besides, I find it more satisfying to be my own boss and my own worker. All I know is, when you do come to shop, I give your transaction my priority attention. Your visit alone (minus a consummated sale) gives me such pleasure. Each return visit that you make gets me closer to the reward of serving your shopping needs. And when you finally make that purchase, I instantly feel connected and committed to you. And I do go and fulfill your order happily just like that.

What's Safest: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cash, or Checks?

I have been researching on respected and trustworthy sources on this issue. Which indeed is the safest way of paying your purchases online? Should you by your credit card. debit card, send cash or check?

For a good answer I turn again to my favorite authority - http://www.privacyrights.org/ - a non-profit consumer information and advocacy organization.

What I learned I pass it to you. Accordingly to my source, the credit card is still the safest way to shop on the Internet. Here's why:

1. Should anything go wrong with the transaction, you are covered by the Federal Fair Credit Billing Act. This means that you can dispute charges made on your credit card and you can withhold payments as well, during such dispute.
2. If the credit investigation determines that your credit card was used without your authorization, you will be responsible only for the first $50.00 in charges and rarely will you be asked to pay such charge.
3. Shopping by check or money order leaves you vulnerable to bank fraud and does not give you any protection should you encounter problems with the order/transaction.
4. Debit cards likewise exposes your bank account to thieves and a checking account can be wiped out in minutes. A debit card or a check card or an ATM card is NOT A TRUE CREDIT CARD and therefore does not give you any protection in case of problems with your online purchase.

Recommendations:

1. Dedicate one credit card for online payments alone. This will make it easier to detect wrongful credit charges.
2. Check your credit card bills carefully after purchasing online. Make sure there are no charges for purchases you did not make. Should you find one, contact the credit card company immediately and file a dispute claim.
3. Try to limit your online shopping to sites that you have bought from before and which you have not experienced any suspicious transactions with.