Most people love the convenience of online shopping but hate the shipping and handling fees associated with it. Can you think of time when you were at your computer ready to make an online purchase, saw the shipping charges and decided to go to a retail store later instead?
Many online store operators dislike the idea of paying for the shipping fees themselves. However, think of all the overhead costs associated with a brick-and-mortar retail business. From the high prices of retail leases, to the walk-in liability insurance, to sales staff salaries, to point-of-sale equipment; the list goes on and on. E-commerce businesses on the other hand have the opportunity to keep their costs down by operating from home or from low-price industrial areas. This cost advantage should be utilized to increase your chances of a successful online sale by eliminating potential obstacles.
Consider offering free shipping on standard ground deliveries. Some customers may want the option of express shipping, but let that become a voluntary increase in total price by them and not a forced one. If you have a number of small ticket items that could put you in the red, consider a reasonable price minimum, such as “FREE shipping for orders over $50”.
Vhishing is the new phishing
Although the title might not make sense to most, phishing scams have affected tens of millions of individuals over the years. The principal is simple; fraudsters duplicate a website that looks almost identical to that of a financial institution or popular e-commerce destination. They then send you an email pretending to be this financial institution and asking you to login to your account using the link that they provide. Unsuspecting users click on the link and enter their username and password, giving away their account’s login credentials to fraudsters.
Although still on the rise, phishing is now being accompanied by vhishing (or “voice-phishing”). The principal is the same, but instead of sending you an email; unsuspecting victims are now receiving automated telephone calls (or “robo-calls”). The automated voice identifies itself as your bank and notifies you that your credit card or bank account has been compromised. Callers are then instructed to press “1” for the security department and to enter their account number followed by the pound sign. Once again unsuspecting victims follow the instructions and provide the fraudsters with their personal information.
So what’s the best defense against vhishing? When unsure who is calling you, hang up and call back your bank or credit card company using the toll-free number on the back of your credit card or on your bank statement.