Basic precautions for spending on the web

Sir,

I currently manage a successful internet web design company and after reading the article ‘Internet purchase leaves punter £13,000 out of pocket’ I was amazed to see that people are still spending such large sums of money without the proper background checks. In the case of spending this amount of money, it is worth actually booking a return ticket to see the car, before handing over the money.

To put people’s minds at rest, the internet is not one large scam, and these incidents of fraud are in fact very uncommon and put recognised retailers in a bad light.

Never use cash, bank transfers or money orders to purchase goods over the internet as these can become untraceable. If a large amount of money is to be exchanged for goods it is advisable to visit the person selling the goods or send a representative in your place.

Internet sales are in fact a good thing, many of the supermarkets across Europe offer ‘home delivery’ where you can order you goods online from work and by the time you arrive home, they are on your doormat; this is also especially useful for elderly or disabled people.

The other options such as ordering goods in Cyprus can in most cases be done via the network of delivery agents that offer ‘cash on delivery’, thus safeguarding your purchase not only for you but also the retailer.

I truly feel for those people that have lost money over the internet; however, I have little sympathy for those that have lost large amounts due to not adequately checking the situation or physically examining the goods on sale.

Dave Roach
Paphos
www.cyprus3ddreams.com

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.