Buying safely on the Internet

When you shop online, you often have to give more information to the trader than you would if you were in a shop. For example, shopping on the internet usually involves giving your name, address and bank details.

There are a number of steps you can take to give you greater security when paying for goods online:

• Try not to give your bank account numbers, credit card details or any other personal information to a company you haven't checked out.

• If you pay for goods or services costing more than £100 on your credit card - even if you only pay the deposit - you may have a claim against the credit card issuer as well as against the trader if you have a complaint.

• If you discover that someone has used one of your payment cards dishonestly following an online transaction, tell the card issuer as soon as possible.

If you have any queries about buying over the internet you can call