How To Check If Website Is Legit?

How do you check if a website is legit?

• I want to order from a website called 10dollarmall.com but i have never heard of this website and I'm a little iffy about it.

• Answer:

  The first stop, check the domain name owner whois information with a tool like: http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp This is one of the 25% of so of cases that use a paid "privacy" registration proxy to conceal the real owner information, this can be bad news or a bedroom based business, it does tell you the site is 2 years old. The Trust Seals at the bottom should only be believed if clicking takes you to a certification page, the BBB A+ rating is the most important indicator of an OK site, the address shown in the BBB registration can be looked up on Google maps where a large warehouse/industrial building of suitable size is shown. (They have the wrong link on the Trust Guard link, a less important endorsement.) You generally want to find an address and phone number on the traditional Contact Us page, this site doesn't have one but gives a phone number and email address at the bottom. If in doubt it's best to call them up with an excuse to interview them. It's a good thing they are offering plain vanilla products and not designer brands, there are more risks dealing with one of the countless counterfeit sites on the internet offering unbelievably low prices. The site looks safe enough for the relatively cheap products, you can't expect too much personalized support with lower priced products.