Online Shopping Tips

A recent review of several online-shopping Web sites by Consumer Reports found that the "terms and conditions" on these sites detail loads of protections — but they're for the seller, not the buyer.

Read these terms and you may discover that everything is sold "as is," or that purchasers must abide by rules of a distant state, where you agree to go if you sue. And many sites have disclaimers that seem to erase protections you get at the retailers' brick-and-mortar establishments.

For example, at Target.com you assume the risk of loss or damage to merchandise when the shipping firm picks it up, not after delivery.

It might be a safer bet with these retailers to buy goods — especially big-ticket items — at the stores, not the Web. Also:

• Check return policies. Some sites charge restocking fees as high as 25 percent, and others don't accept returns of opened merchandise. Also, if you return items that came with free shipping, chances are you'll have to pick up the cost for the trip back.

• Pay with the right plastic. When you pay by credit card, your liability for unauthorized purchases is $50. Also, you can dispute charges for items that arrive broken or aren't what you ordered. You can't do that with a debit card. Likewise, debit cards may not cover fraudulent charges if you don't act fast enough.

• Don't do business with a Web site if it doesn't list the owner's name, address or phone number, or if it's full of spelling errors.