1. ASOS
ASOS.com is the UK’s largest online-only style and beauty retail store, carrying over 50,000 branded and own label product lines across womenswear, menswear and accessories. ASOS.com allows visitors to narrow their search by trends and collection, as well as provides an online marketplace where you can buy and sell pre-owned vintage. In addition to ASOS.com’s vast social media presence (twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc), the recently introduced “Fashion Finder” provides an opportunity for consumers to create and personalize outfits, look books and fashion videos.

2. NASTY GAL
Founded in 2006, NastyGal.com launched as an eBay store selling an assortment of highly curated vintage pieces. The international style source now offers new and vintage pieces that are handpicked by the NastyGal.com team. Setting themselves apart from the competition, NASTYGAL.com offers public “want lists” – a shopaholics answer to a wedding registry – that allows friends and family to freely search your most wanted pieces for birthdays, holidays, or just because they love you.

3. MR PORTER
MrPorter.com – male cousin to Net-a-Porter.com – launched in 2011 and has since been doing a bang-up job of cracking the notoriously stagnant men’s online market. While the retailer offers every major designer from Alexander McQueen to Ray Ban, it’s MrPorter.com’s online community that sets it apart from imitators. With features like STYLEPEDIA, an online style council offering tips from style icons such as N.E.R.D’s Pharrell Williams, and an iPhone app for on-the-go advice, men no longer have an excuse to look like Van Wilder.

4. Zappos
Zappos.com provides members with amazing deals on designer apparel and footwear. Regardless of your budget, Zappos.com promises not only the best prices, but the best service. Zappos.com provides a LIVE HELP service that acts as an instant messenger to their 24/7 on-call support team. If you’re having an issue with products, prices or have other inquiries, Zappos.com has humanized their online platform to ensure that you receive answers to your questions immediately.

5. Singer22
Bringing consumers closer to the stars than ever before, Singer22.com provides guests with the option to search by Celebrity Picks and purchase styles worn by A-listers such as Olivia Palermo and Victoria Beckham. If you’re concerned that those Maurie & Eve Tori Buckle Pants won’t look the same on you as they do on Kim Kardashian, not to worry. Singer22.com also provides images of Singer22.com models and regular folk (in the Community section) rocking their gear.

Taken from : http://www.fashionotes.com/content/2012/06/top-10-online-shopping-sites/

1. Sales tax can add a significant sum to the total purchase price of your order (upwards of 10%). As such, it’s worth investigating which stores charge you sales tax versus which stores won’t. Many of the pure online retailers, like Amazon, typically don’t charge sales tax for online orders.

2. Many of the top online stores offer rewards programs when you buy from them. Some are better than others, but you can generally save 4-5% if you’re on the lookout.

3. Credit cards can sometimes get an unfair rap. But if you’re smart about using them, a good credit card can save you a substantial sum. Sites like Nerdwallet.com are a great resource for figuring out what credit card is most appropriate for your spending habits.

4. If you’re a student, keep in mind that you can be exempt from sales tax in several states. Students who plan on spending hundreds of dollars on text books in August can get major savings from this little secret.

5. For many online retailers, you have the ability to earn “cash back” on your purchases. Sites like Zestii and Ebates make it easy for you to earn a percentage back each time you buy.

Taken from : http://www.businessinsider.com/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-shopping-online-2011-8?IR=T&r=US&IR=T

Credit Cards

The most widely used method of online payment is allowing customers to charge their purchases to a major credit card, just as they would do in a brick-and-mortar store. To facilitate this, you must use the services of an online payment processor. Your customer will provide credit card information on your order form, and the details will be securely transmitted via the Web to your payment processor. The processing firm will complete the transaction and send you the funds collected from the customer's card, minus transaction fees, which vary from one processor to the next.

Electronic Checks

Many payment processors allow you to accept electronic checks or "e-checks" from your customers. The purchaser inputs her bank routing number and checking account number into your online order form. These details are then forwarded to the processor, who completes the transaction and deposits the net funds into your business account. One drawback of e-checks is that they do not process instantly like credit cards do. This means it's possible for a customer to write a bad e-check to your business.

PayPal

PayPal is an alternative to traditional credit cards and e-checks that allows you to collect payment from your customers. Rather than systems that transfer money from an account at one financial institution to another, PayPal takes money from one user's PayPal account and transfers it to another PayPal user's account instantly. When you create a PayPal account for your business, you'll have the option of either accepting money from your customers' PayPal accounts or using PayPal as a processing service to accept credit cards and electronic checks.

Gift Cards

Two types of gift cards are common: store-specific gift cards and those issued by major credit card companies. Cards issued by credit card companies process just like ordinary credit cards. If your small business website uses a service capable of processing credit cards from gift card issuers such as Visa and Mastercard, then you will be able to accept this type of gift card. Otherwise, you will only be able to accept gift cards that your business issued.

Taken from : http://smallbusiness.chron.com/types-online-payments-46757.html

Online shopping has become a popular shopping method ever since the internet has declared a takeover. There are many individuals that are looking for other amazing alternatives shopping and online shipping is just the fix for that.
There are many advantages of online shopping; this is the reason why online stores are a booming business today. Online shopping includes buying clothes, gadgets, shoes, appliances, or even daily groceries. Listed below are several online shopping advantages and these are the following.

  

• Save Time – Do you have the specific list that you want to buy? With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, you can purchase your shopping orders and instantly move to other important things, which can save time.

• Save Fuel – The market of fuel industries battles from increasing and decreasing its cost every now and again, but no matter how much the cost of fuel are it does not affect your shopping errands. One of the advantages of shopping online is that there is no need for vehicles, so no purchase of fuel necessary.

• Save Energy – Admit it, it is tiresome to shop from one location and transfer to another location. What is worse is that there are no available stocks for the merchandise you want to buy. In online shopping, you do not need to waste your precious energy when buying.

Taken from : http://www.ebay.com/gds/Advantages-of-Online-Shopping-and-its-Disadvantages-/10000000177896151/g.html

Most of us couldn’t do without the convenience of online shopping. Whether it means getting the best price on the latest video game or purchasing the perfect pair of shoes, online shopping gives us access to products, services, and special deals that might be unavailable to us otherwise.

However, online shopping has its risks. The popularity and profitability of online retail has resulted in unscrupulous people looking to take advantage of unwary shoppers. Their tactics may include:

• Deception. In the virtual world, it can be hard to distinguish reputable retailers from criminals, as just about anyone can set up fraudulent a web site that appears to be a legitimate business.
• Invasion. You may inadvertently download spyware on your computer that allows access to your personal information and passwords, and sophisticated hackers can breach online business databases to harvest customer payment information. 

With risks that differ from walk-in stores, online shopping requires special precautions. To protect yourself and your information, read on for steps to take before you plug in your credit card number and click “Buy.”

1. Use a good anti-malware program

This may sound obvious, but many people ignore the advice to install anti-malware software. It is critical that online shoppers secure their PC from viruses and other attacks.

To ensure that your security program’s protection stays current, keep its virus and malware signatures up-to-date. Fortunately, most programs can automatically update these signatures, so be sure the automatic updating feature is enabled in your software.

Further, because viruses can swiftly change and mutate, use a program designed to detect newly created or mutated threats even before their signature is part of the automatic updates. iolo’s System Shield® AntiVirus & AntiSpyware uses Sentient Technology, a heuristic feature that adapts to yet unclassified attacks based on behavioral analysis.

2. Use Familiar Websites

Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can be rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. We all know Amazon.com and that it carries everything under the sun; likewise, just about every major retail outlet has an online store, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are the oldest tricks in the book. Yes, the sales on these sites might look enticing, but that's how they trick you into giving up your info.

3. Look for the Lock

Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser.

4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal. (After all, there's more than one way to get to your money.)

If you do see something wrong, pick up the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, pay the bill only once you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however, after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway.










Taken ftom : http://www.iolo.com/resources/articles/9-tips-for-safe-online-shopping/

Purchasing goods from the comfort of your own living room certainly is more convenient than actually driving to a store, while offering a virtually unlimited array of choices and the ability to compare prices. While online payment and security technology have come a long way, you still may experience problems with online shopping from time to time. This article covers some of the more common issues, such as getting the wrong item or falling prey to online scams, and ways to minimize these potential pitfalls.

What If I Don't Get What I Ordered?

If the item you received is not the item listed as purchased, the seller is responsible for either correcting the error (at no extra charge) or refunding your money, but online retailers may have different approaches. There may be information about resolving this type of dispute in the "disclaimers" or "legal terms" portion of the customer contract, or you can usually call or email the company for details.

Most online vendors understand that customer service can make or break their business and will try to fix the problem quickly. Some will reimburse you for the cost of return shipping if it is the company's fault; but you may still have to pay for shipping upfront, since they must confirm the error first. However, with online auction sites, the process is less clear because these sites typically only serve to connect buyers and sellers. Sometimes auction sites create an online process for resolving disputes over delivery of goods and may serve as an intermediary in the process.

However, when you buy something online from an individual vendor, perhaps through Craigslist or a similar service, it could prove very difficult to resolve such an issue if the seller is acting in bad faith or otherwise not 
responsive.

What If My Order Never Arrives?

Federal law (the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule) requires retailers that process orders by mail, telephone, or the Internet to deliver items within 30 days. If you have not received your order within that time frame, you have the right to a full refund of the purchase price. Likewise, retailers are required by law to explain your right to a full refund for undelivered goods.

Likewise, the Fair Credit Billing Act protects you from being billed for items that are not delivered, but nevertheless charged to your credit card. If the online vendor is unwilling or unable to help you, or denies your claim that the item was never delivered, you may write to your credit card issuer's billing inquiries department about the problem. Make sure you send it within 60 days after the bill with the errant charge (specifically, the charge for an item not received) was sent. See the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) Billed for Merchandise You Never Received? Here's What to Do for a step-by-step guide on resolving this common problem with online shopping.

If an item purchased through an auction site does not arrive, auction sites typically suggest first contacting the seller, who can provide shipping and tracking information; give you a full refund; or offer to send a replacement.

Sometimes items are shipped but delivered to the wrong address; stolen from the porch; or inadvertently left in a hidden spot (such as an alleyway or by a seldom-used side door). Again, this often comes down to customer service, and major online retailers may be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt in such a situation.

Are There Special Concerns When Buying from Foreign Companies?

Problems with online shopping can be especially difficult to resolve if the seller is located in a foreign country. Before you order, you will want to know how the item is priced and when it is converted to U.S. dollars (if listed in a different currency); whether the retailer will ship to other countries; the likely length of time it will take to fulfill the order; any applicable special duties or taxes.

If there are problems with your order, such as getting the wrong item, most vendors require you to resolve the dispute in their local court. So is it worth traveling to Switzerland, for example, to assert your claim that you were sent the wrong Swiss Army Knife? A safer alternative may be to look for a U.S. reseller who offers the same items.

As a general rule, though, you should approach international online orders with caution.

Taken from : http://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/problems-with-online-shopping.html

Online shopping (sometimes known as e-tail from "electronic retail" or e-shopping) is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the internet using a web browser. Alternative names are e-web-store, e-shop, e-store, Internet shop, web-shop, web-store, online store, online storefront and virtual store. Mobile commerce (or m-commerce) describes purchasing from an online retailer's mobile optimized online site or app.

An online shop evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or shopping center the process is called business-to-consumer (B2C) online shopping. In the case where a business buys from another business, the process is called business-to-business (B2B) online shopping. The largest of these online retailing corporations are Alibaba, Amazon.com, and eBay. 

Taken from : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_shopping