News
Ottawa is Turning a Blind Eye to Seniors’ Financial Precariousness
I appeal to the Government of Canada. The largest seniors' organization in the ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way Quebecers shop.
According to a study conducted for Canada Post, 48% of Canadian consumers plan to do all or most of this year’s holiday shopping online.
Read on for our tips on making it an enjoyable experience!
Make sure the retailer is on the up and up. Find their complete contact information. Read their return policies. Make a note of the total purchase amount (price, taxes, delivery charges, and other fees) before checking out.
Make sure you’re on a secure network when you shop online—ideally your home Wi-Fi. Over a public connection, your payment information (e.g., credit card number) could be intercepted.
Try to use a credit card issued by a major financial institution that promises to refund fraudulent charges. That way you’ll know you’re protected. If you’re not used to buying online, confine purchases to one card with a lower limit.
You can also go through an intermediary payment service like PayPal. That way you’re only giving your credit card number to one party instead of multiple retailers.
It’s obvious, but worth repeating: Secure sites are more secure, so only buy from websites that start with https://. The colon in the web address indicates that data transmission is encrypted, but be sure to still check the domain name. Just look at the URL address to make sure you’re not on a bogus site disguised as a legitimate retailer.
Print or download all purchase confirmation messages. Check your bank statements regularly. If you see any suspicious or unauthorized charges, contact your financial institution right away.
The tips above will help protect you as you shop online. But to avoid any last-minute surprises (like late packages), don’t wait until December 23 to start your holiday shopping.
Canada Post anticipates a record-breaking season. With so many more people shopping online this year, mail volume may exceed processing and delivery capacity. Watch the video below for more on this topic. |