Resources

Using the Internet and Shopping Online is quite differnet from walking into a store and buying the stuff there. People are just overwhelmed sometimes by the fact how easy it is to order online and how hard it is to keep track of things and what to do, when things go not the way they were supposed to.

This Page was designed to help you find valuable Resources to keep track of your online purchases, solving problems, showing options in case of a problem and much more.
Read to the end of this page. Some of the information are also valuable for experienced Online Shoppers.

This Page also addresses issues with Junk Mail (SPAM), Parasite-/Spy-/Ad Ware and general security concerns of people using the internet.

Table of Content
1. Tracking a Shipment of your order
2. Unsure about a Merchant?
3. Serious Problems with a Merchant?
4. Sick of Spam? - Part I - I already received SPAM.
5. Sick of Spam? - Part II - What can I do to reduce SPAM?
6. Using Credit Cards on the Internet
7. What are "Cookies" and what are they for?
8. Warning! SpyWare / ParasiteWare / AdWare

1. Tracking a Shipment of your order.
It is common, that a merchant notifies you via E-mail, that he shipped your items.
That notification should include the Carrier used plus a Tracking Number (or Tracking Numbers if the shipment has more than 1 box).
If those information were not provided, call the Merchants Customer Service Number or request the information via E-mail.

Note: It can take up to 24h before tracking information for your shipment are available online at the Carriers Website. Contact your Merchant after that Timeframe, if there are still no Tracking Information for your tracking number available.

Below are the links to common carriers to track your shipment.

FedEx Tracking
UPS Tracking
Airborne Tracking
DHL Tracking
USPS Tracking
Mail Boxes Etc. (iShip.com)
Airborne Express (iShip.com)
Yellow (iShip.com)

2. Unsure about a Merchant?
Not everybody on the Internet is as good as he presents himself.
Visit the Better Business Bureau Online to check if there are official complaints about a merchant available.

3. Serious Problems with a Merchant?
Do you have a real serious problem with a merchant? You tried to contact him to solve the problem and nothing happend? You feel helpless and do not know what to do?
You might be surprised, but you CAN do something.

3.1.
File an official complaint at the Better Business Bureau.
Be aware, that the complaint is taken very serious and that the merchant gets notified about your complaint. Make sure that the complaint is justified and that you have prove.

3.2.
File an official complaint at the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC).
The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) is co-sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).
Same thing here. A complaint is taken very seriously. Make sure, that the complaint is justified and that you have prove.

3.3.
File an official complaint at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),
or call 1-877-FTC-HELP
or write to:

Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580

If your complaint is against a company in another country, please file it at eConsumer.gov.

Again. A complaint is taken very seriously. Make sure, that the complaint is justified and that you have prove.

4. Sick of Spam? - Part I - I already received SPAM.
Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (UCE), Bulk E-mail, or "Spam" is, quote:
"Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail." (Source: Dictionary.com)

Step 1.
Make sure, that the Email you received is really SPAM and not an Email from somebody you do business with or from a Service you subscribed for.

Step 2.
You made sure, that the Email is SPAM and you want to do something about it.
Do Never ever reply to the Email to unsubscribe. A lot of Spammers use that as verification, that the Email-Address is working and read by a human and you get even more SPAM.
Do something that hurts them. " Lart " them.

Go to SpamCop.net and report the SPAM.
They guide you through the process. SpamCop analyses the Email you received and Reports the complaint (anonymously) to every party involved (Spammers ISP, Spamvertised Website, ISP of Spamvertised Website etc.)

Additional Resources:
SPAM Con/SueSpammers
Abuse.net
SPAM News

Here is interesting scientific research document analysing the sources of SPAM:
"Why Am I Getting All This Spam? - Unsolicited Commercial E-mail Research"
Conducted by CDT (Center for Democracy & Technology), March 2003.

030319spamreport.pdf

5. Sick of Spam? - Part II - What can I do to reduce SPAM?
Option 1.
Use an Online Service like SPAM Arrest.

Quote:
"Spam Arrest is your starting point for stopping spam. Unlike other anti-spam solutions, Spam Arrest quickly and easily blocks spam before it ever gets to your inbox — no matter how the spam is disguised or where it comes from."

Heavy words, but true.

Option 2.
Have multiple Email Addresses for different purposes.

Have an email account (yahoo, hotmail etc.) for the use in public places (newsgroups, forums, icq etc.) and to subscribe for newsletters, general contact forms to request information (one time only) and to enable a download for a free trial version of a program or service. Important, make sure that you will not be listed public (Public Member Directory) at the service provider (yahoo, icq etc.). Look twice before you subscribe for a "newsletter". A lot of freebee sites have a newsletter signup, where you actually subscribe (opt-in) for the newsletter(s) from another company/website. A good indicator is a different company logo or "provided by", "via", "copyright", "empowered by" graphic/text in that newsletter form. Do not subscribe for something like that. That email account will receive more and more spam over time. If it becomes to bad, close the account and create a new one. If there is an interesting Newsletter addressed to that email, subscribe again with your new Email address.

Have an email account for Online Shopping and Services (Bank etc.) you do business with frequently and Newsletters from Sites you trust (like the ConsumerMatch.com Newsletter).
Never use this email in any "public" places (Newsgroups, Forums, Chat Rooms etc.) and Free Trials/Downloads/Access Sites.

6. Using Credit Cards on the Internet
The possibility of using Credit Cards on the Web makes Shopping Online easier and more convenient. It's pretty much save to use Credit Cards online today, but certain risks are always involved. Make sure that that you follow the advices below to reduce that risk to a minimum.

6.1.
Never ever send your Credit Card Information via Email to somebody, except you use Email encryption software like PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).

6.2.
Make sure that the Page where you enter your Credit Card Information is encrypted via SSL. The URL of the Page should start with "https://" instead of "http://".
Internet Explorer Users will see a little closed Lock in the lower right corner of the Browser Window.

What is SSL?
SSL (Secured Socket Layer), is used for sending and receiving sensitive information such as Credit Card information across the World Wide Web. It ensures encrypted/secure communications between the client and receiving server. The SSL protocol supports the use of a variety of different cryptographic algorithms, or ciphers, and most of which provide 40, 56, or 128 bit encryption security.

Key-exchange algorithms like KEA and RSA key exchange govern the way in which the server and client determine the symmetric keys they will both use during an SSL session.
Most Merchants are using third parties (such as Verisign or Geotrust) for their SSL Key Certification. Those SSL Key and Certificate Issueing Services Providers pre-screen the Merchant berfore they give the Merchants Site the certification.

Those Certified SSL Keys are not for free. The Merchant has to pay a recurring fee for it.
However, a Website Operator can issue an SSL Key for its own Servers without using a third party service.
Those Keys are not certified and most Internet Browsers pop-up a warning message.
You should double check that merchant, before you provide sensible information.

6.3.
Check every item on your Credit Card Statement. You can always contact your Credit Card company and challenge a charge on the Credit Card within 30 Days,
but try first to figure out who is responsible for the charge and contact them first.
There are a lot of Credit Card Processing Services around which handle the Transactions for small Online Merchants. Not all merchants tell you that in advance.

7. What are "Cookies" and what are they for?
Cookies are short pieces of data used by web servers to help identify web users. The popular concepts and rumors about what a cookie can do has reached almost mystical proportions, frightening users and worrying their managers.

Cookies are supported by any platform that can use a modern web browser.

No damage to files or systems can be done by Cookies. Cookies are only used to identify a web user though they may be used to track a user's browsing habits. Cookies are widely used by Shopping Sites (Shopping Cart) and Websites with Customized Content.

No files are destroyed or compromised by cookies, but if you are concerned about being identified or about having your web browsing traced through the use of a cookie, set your browser to not accept cookies or use one of the new cookie blocking packages.

Note that blocking all cookies prevents some online services from working, including several services provided by this Website.
Most eCommerce Solutions utilize Cookies for their Shopping Card System and to determine, if you are logged in or not.

Also, preventing your browser from accepting cookies does not make you an anonymous user, it just makes it more difficult to track your behaviours online. read more...

8. Warning! SpyWare / ParasiteWare / AdWare
Most people using the Internet are not aware, that there is a good chance that next to looking at fancy Websites programs sneak onto your Computer to track your behavior and generate pop-ups and commercial links while you are browsing the Internet.

Some of that Software comes in a bundle with free downloaded Software, other has to be downloaded and installed.
The most daring Software is the one, that installs itself by simply browsing a website (Drive-By Downloads).
Windows users in combination with Internet Explorer are affected the most (= 90+% of the people using the internet).

You may read about it in a technical article. Most of those Software are so called "BHO's" or utilize the technology behind it. BHO stands for "Browser Helper Object" and is a Technology developed by Microsoft to allow to extend the Features of the Internet Explorer.
A positive and very useful example of a BHO is the Google (Search Engine) Toolbar. Visit Google for details.

Although this kind of software is breaking into your privacy, it’s not illegal yet (like classic computer viruses). Lawsuits are on their way, but until then, the only thing you can do is to remove them from your computer. Like with common computer viruses, you must always be on top of it, it’s not a one time thing. New Parasites and changed versions of existing ones pop out of the dark every day.

Millions of Internet users will hail the day, when the first "new-generation-virus" distributor will start serving his well earned prison-time. Unfortunately Law requires time to catch up with reality. A "classic" Computer virus was also not illegal 20 years ago.

Visit: http://www.spywareinfo.com/scanner.php or http://doxdesk.com/parasite/
They scan you computer without installing any software. MS Internet Explorer with JavaScript and ActiveX enabled is required. They tell you, what Parasites you have on your computer, what each does and how to remove it.
They also list all Parasites they know about with detailed documentation for each of them.

Professional SpyWare Detectors, Protectors and Eliminators
Aluria's Spyware Eliminator

Other SpyWare Detectors and Eliminators.
AdWare by Lavasoft (Norway)
Spyware Blaster
Spybot Search & Destroy

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