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For Immediate Release
December 27, 2000

Contact:
E-mail: beryl@wolfenews.com

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 775-5115

Web Site: http://www.bernsteinshur.com

Making Holiday Shopping on the Internet a Safe Venture, PART TWO

Authored by Andrew J. Zulieve, a commercial law attorney at Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson

PART TWO, "Making Holiday Shopping on the Internet a Safe Venture"


8. Get a Clear and Description of the Merchandise to be Purchased.

9. Understand the Terms and Conditions of the Sale. Confirm the cost of the merchandise. Look for information on the website that outlines any restrictions, limitations or conditions of the purchase, instructions for proper use of the products such as health and safety warnings, warranties, guarantees, cancellation or refund policies. If any of these are omitted or their terms are unclear, contact the vendor for an explanation. If the website vendor is reluctant to answer the consumer's questions, don't shop there.

10. Determine and Confirm any Shipping and Handling Fees.

11. Track the Purchase, if Possible.

12. Inquire if there is an Opportunity to Print and Save a Record of the Sale.

13. Confirm Delivery Dates. The vendor will usually tell the consumer when
the consumer when the merchandise will be delivered. However, under the Federal Trade Commission rules, a vendor must ship the items as promised, and must do so no more than thirty (30) days after the order date. If the vendor is unable to ship the merchandise within that time, the consumer must be notified and given the opportunity to cancel the order and obtain a full refund. The vendor has the option of canceling the order and simply refunding the consumer's money.

These guidelines are only representative of the types of precautions available to protect consumers shopping on the Internet. Even if consumers implement all of these suggestions, there is no guarantee that they will not fall victim to an Internet crime, although that risk will certainly be reduced in many cases.


WHAT IF SHOPPER BECOMES THE VICTIM OF INTERNET CRIME.

It should be clearly evident that even the most informed, diligent and cautions shopper may still become the victim of an Internet crime. Should that happen, the shopper must act, and act quickly, or the opportunity to apprehend the criminal and hopefully recover any lost money or merchandise.

1. Credit Cards. As already mentioned, federal law limits the personal liability of consumers to $50. for unauthorized charges their credit cards. In addition to notifying the credit card company, the victim should immediately take the following next steps:

A. Contact the Fraud Departments of Each of the Three Major Credit Bureaus to Report the Crime and Get a Copy of the Victim's Credit Report. The three bureaus are:

á Equifax. 1-800-525-6285 (Report Fraud); 1-800-685-1111 (Credit
Report).
á Experian. 1-888-397-3742 (Report Fraud); 1-888-685-1111 (Credit
Report).

á Trans Union. 1-800-680-7289 (Report Fraud); 1-800-916-8800
(Credit Report.

B. If the thief has changed the billing address on an existing credit card account, the consumer should immediately close that account. When a new account is opened, the consumer should ask that a password be used before any inquiries or changes can be made on that account.

2. Bank Accounts, Checks or ATM Cards. If consumers believes that their bank accounts, checks or ATM cards have been compromised, they should close the account immediate. When a new account is open, insist on password-only access to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.

If checks are stolen or misused, the consumer should stop payment immediately and contact the major check verification companies to request that they notify retailers using the databases of these companies to dishonor the misappropriated checks. The consumers may also ask their banks to notify the particular check certification with which they conduct business. The three check verification services that accept reports of check fraud directly from consumers are:

á Telecheck. 1-800-710-9898

á International Check Services. 1-877-438-4339

á Equifax. 1-800-437-5120


2. FTC Identity Theft Hotline. The consumer may file a report of Internet fraud with the Federal Trade Commission by callings its hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT. A representative will put the information into a secure consumer fraud database and may, in appropriate circumstances, share that information with law enforcement agencies and private businesses, including the company about which the complaint was made.

3. Internet Fraud Watch. Internet shoppers may also get current information regarding Internet fraud and other scams from the NFIC/Internet Fraud Watch hotline at
1-800-876-7060; http://www.fraud.org.


CONCLUDING REMARKS.

Although Internet technology is a relatively new phenomenon, there is certainly no doubt that it has changed the commercial transaction and communication network forever. It is hoped that this informational guideline provide the consumer with a better understanding of the function and purpose of the Internet, the criminals that have found ways to profit from its use or misuse, and various means by which consumers may protect themselves from these people.

(end)




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