Do you have eShopping Anxiety?
Not very long ago, I was asked a simple question by an elderly lady (a docent at our local art gallery) about eCommerce. I had just mentioned that I purchased (and sold) a lot of things through the internet, ie, eBay and other online stores. She asked, "Do you feel safe doing that?"
It was a legitimate question I suppose...10 years ago! But then, again, every person has not ventured into this realm...yet.
I realize there is a lot of eFraud going on nowadays, it's in the news every day. Credit card scams, stolen passwords, fraudulent eBay listings even. The latter of which I have been a victum of...once. I answered her question without too much thought (and only slightly fibbing), "Oh, sure. I have never had a problem in that area. Things have gotten so much more secure in recent years...(blah blah blah)...".
I do a lot of eBay shopping and perusing, too much really. It's not that I actually buy a lot of stuff, but I window shop a lot. This in itself is a bit Skip-contrary, because I absolutely hate to shop...in stores! Except for the grocery store, I detest having to "shop" for anything in brick and mortar stores. Yes, I do enjoy grocery shopping. Why...I don't know, I just do. Maybe it's because I love to eat, I love to cook...and this is a part of the planning process surrounding a passion of mine. Regarding my aversion to the other stores...I think it stems from my years and years in the Food Service industry (corporate restaurant management). To put it simply, I hate the people who work in the service industry...whether it be a restaurant, a hardware store, a pet supply store, DMV office, bank...you name it, I detest them with a passion. Why? Except for a very small percentage, maybe 1 %...they are all in the wrong business! They don't belong in this profession...they haven't a clue as to what their "job" is all about...and should be cane-whipped. Normally at this point, I would insert several paragraphs of ranting about the state of the service industry...but I'll table that for now.
Back to the old lady's question about feeling safe shopping on the internet. I did something of late that could be described as a leap of faith. I purchased an eBay item from fricking Hong Kong! Holy shit! I pledged I would never do that (again), ie, buy an item online that would come from another country, halfway around the world. You see...I did get "burned" a few years ago on a transaction from Europe. I'll spare the details because they are too embarassing to admit (basically, I lost $600). This latest Hong Kong purchase involved a name brand piece of camera equipment for $139 (retailing in US stores for $299) from an established eBay merchant. So...a good deal? Yes. A wise move? Yes. I received the piece yesterday, intact, as advertised, in a timely manner (shipping was about $15). The company from which I purchased this item has thousands of "positive feedback" transactions in their history, so I made the leap of international ecommerce faith. And all was well in eSkiptown.
But here a few footnotes to keep in mind when buying things via the internet. One - eBay sellers can be as nefarious as a back alley postcard salesman. Check their feedback comments and percentages. Two - try to pay only through a reputable online payment service such as Paypal (an online staple, now owned and operated by eBay itself). Never pay through Western Union or other such service, unless you personally know the merchant. Three - Caveat Emptor...may the buyer beware. Any really fantastic deal may in fact be just that: fantastic.
For the most part, I feel relatively secure with online transactions, especially with a credit card. At least with a credit card, there is some history and record of the sale. Sending cash, money order, or personal check? Not so safe in my book. Yes...there are plenty of shitheads in the world who work fervishly all day trying gleen your account numbers and steal from you. But, for the most part, eCommerce is fairly secure in this day and age.
Now, if I could just figure out how to unload that acre of land on the moon I purchased online a few years ago...I would have a lot more faith in merchants in general! I'll wait a while to sell it...the real estate market is pretty soft right now.
It was a legitimate question I suppose...10 years ago! But then, again, every person has not ventured into this realm...yet.
I realize there is a lot of eFraud going on nowadays, it's in the news every day. Credit card scams, stolen passwords, fraudulent eBay listings even. The latter of which I have been a victum of...once. I answered her question without too much thought (and only slightly fibbing), "Oh, sure. I have never had a problem in that area. Things have gotten so much more secure in recent years...(blah blah blah)...".
I do a lot of eBay shopping and perusing, too much really. It's not that I actually buy a lot of stuff, but I window shop a lot. This in itself is a bit Skip-contrary, because I absolutely hate to shop...in stores! Except for the grocery store, I detest having to "shop" for anything in brick and mortar stores. Yes, I do enjoy grocery shopping. Why...I don't know, I just do. Maybe it's because I love to eat, I love to cook...and this is a part of the planning process surrounding a passion of mine. Regarding my aversion to the other stores...I think it stems from my years and years in the Food Service industry (corporate restaurant management). To put it simply, I hate the people who work in the service industry...whether it be a restaurant, a hardware store, a pet supply store, DMV office, bank...you name it, I detest them with a passion. Why? Except for a very small percentage, maybe 1 %...they are all in the wrong business! They don't belong in this profession...they haven't a clue as to what their "job" is all about...and should be cane-whipped. Normally at this point, I would insert several paragraphs of ranting about the state of the service industry...but I'll table that for now.
Back to the old lady's question about feeling safe shopping on the internet. I did something of late that could be described as a leap of faith. I purchased an eBay item from fricking Hong Kong! Holy shit! I pledged I would never do that (again), ie, buy an item online that would come from another country, halfway around the world. You see...I did get "burned" a few years ago on a transaction from Europe. I'll spare the details because they are too embarassing to admit (basically, I lost $600). This latest Hong Kong purchase involved a name brand piece of camera equipment for $139 (retailing in US stores for $299) from an established eBay merchant. So...a good deal? Yes. A wise move? Yes. I received the piece yesterday, intact, as advertised, in a timely manner (shipping was about $15). The company from which I purchased this item has thousands of "positive feedback" transactions in their history, so I made the leap of international ecommerce faith. And all was well in eSkiptown.
But here a few footnotes to keep in mind when buying things via the internet. One - eBay sellers can be as nefarious as a back alley postcard salesman. Check their feedback comments and percentages. Two - try to pay only through a reputable online payment service such as Paypal (an online staple, now owned and operated by eBay itself). Never pay through Western Union or other such service, unless you personally know the merchant. Three - Caveat Emptor...may the buyer beware. Any really fantastic deal may in fact be just that: fantastic.
For the most part, I feel relatively secure with online transactions, especially with a credit card. At least with a credit card, there is some history and record of the sale. Sending cash, money order, or personal check? Not so safe in my book. Yes...there are plenty of shitheads in the world who work fervishly all day trying gleen your account numbers and steal from you. But, for the most part, eCommerce is fairly secure in this day and age.
Now, if I could just figure out how to unload that acre of land on the moon I purchased online a few years ago...I would have a lot more faith in merchants in general! I'll wait a while to sell it...the real estate market is pretty soft right now.
posted by James | 6:14 AM
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