Wal-Mart's site, for example, states that it will reimburse users for fraudulent charges made that are a result of credit card information stolen while shopping at the site. As an option, you can set your browser so the security statement window pops up every time you enter a new site. You want complete disclosure. If there's no statement, think twice about using the site. Also, when it comes to picking a password, try to skip the obvious.
Birthdays are easy to decode.
Ideally, get a phone number, in case of a problem or complaint. Know ahead of time how to return an item. If in doubt, send an e-mail with a standard question and see how fast the company responds. But, Ms. Macagno warns, remember that a lot of these sites shop only on price. Sites that cooperate with bizrate offer a link to its site from their own.