When you require help selecting out a latest book, gadget, boutique, saloon, restaurant or even doctor, what do you do?

Naturally! Turn to online reviews. Consumers are becoming used to searching for reviews before they shop. So it should be no surprise that there are company review sites that provide a window-shopping experience for the consumers. And we, as consumers, scour these reviews to assurance we’re making the right choice.

These days, online reviews and product rankings are prevalent with absolute fraud and morally doubtful conduct. Writers are paying for good reviews of their books; companies are betting the method by paying for five-star ratings or putting ratings themselves under bogus names. The problem seems to get more persistent day-by-day. Nevertheless, consumers depend on reviews to make sure their money is well spent.

So how do you know if a product review online is genuine? Before you delve deep into the rabbit hole of online reviews, here are some points to keep in mind:

• The best key is don’t just trust a single site. Check various sites for reviews and try to find a group opinion.
• The best way to trust a review is to look at the number of responses. The more positive responses a review has, the more likely it is to be real.
• Another tip is to depend on sites that authenticate a customer purchased a product or service before they can review it.
• A vigilant reading of a review may also disclose its reliability. You may be able to mark a fake review just by examining its diction.
• A product that only has five-star reviews might also raise a red flag. There should always be a few negative reviews. You must only trust reviews when there seems to be a balance of them.

Fortunately, some companies have started retorting to the menace of fake reviews. Google has stopped connecting to third-party reviews and is now motivating people to write reviews with their Google+ identities. Various sites now allow you to report reviews you feel might be bogus, helping to clear the air. Ultimately, your best bet seems to be reading reviews with a vigorous scepticism.

Being scammed has become a common misfortune for us as cyber crime has become one of the most notorious white collar crimes these days. The worst part of cyber crime is that the victim does not know when he has become the prey of the cyber criminals. Credit card fraud is one such popular white collar cyber crime. By the time the forgery comes into notice the massacre has been set completely. Mostly we get puzzled this time and fail to understand how we should counter the catastrophe. Here a few things we have narrated to let you know what you should do if ever you have been scammed with your credit card.
Cancel the credit card
Once you are confirmed that your credit card has been hacked, block the credit card and inform bank people every detail about the last transaction you did on it. The bank and its representative will raise a lot of enquiries, but ultimately if you are clean and honest in your documentation, they will surely help you.
Contact police
You have to inform police duly and they will get the credit card forgery diary. Provide police all information available about the cyber fraud and if possible ask them to trace the IP from where the forgery is initiated. Allow poise to check all your bank transaction and meanwhile you take best care to inform credit card issuance authority to inform about the scam. In case if your transaction is regular and Ok with credit card payment and your card is being protected by credit card insurance, you will be supported by bank also to settle the credit card dues.
Inform authority
Besides informing your bank, you must inform National Fraud Information Center and National Consumer’s League so that the compromised credit card cannot be used for any other criminal activities. You can write a letter to these associations or else can send them a mail on their official e-mail address.
Being a victim of cyber crime is a great massacre but the situation can be handled if you know what you should do. It is always wise to keep credit card and its pin safe and secured and it is mandatory to check authenticity of the website if you ever decide to make any online transaction with the credit card.

Level of service expected by consumers these days
What service customers really want is an intricate subject to guess because right understanding of customer satisfaction leads to successful customer retention as well as it helps in forming the right strategy of customer care and customer relationship management. From business point of view customers expect two types of core services in order to meet their basic requirements;
The first requirement of a customer is the assistance they require against their involvement with the business
Secondly, the requirement of the customer is the value of the product or the service they are offered by the business unit.
In other way if the first service is about the support and assistance the second aspect of desired customer service is after sales service. This perfectly makes the round customer support abs care which leads to complete customer satisfaction.
Now while the ultimate goal of customer support is the customer satisfaction and customer retention there are some basic approaches which are proved as effective and efficient methods for planning a good customer care process.
Friendly response
Customers expect a friendly tone on their contact to the person concerned related to a product or service. They also expect that this point of contact will be able to explain in detail about the product or the service. The approach may sound absolutely business but customers expect friendly approach.
Customers want attention
Market is always dominated by buyers and hence customers are the point wherefrom revenue is generated. Hence it is necessary to let them feel their importance. Hence, attention and care are the other services customers want from their purchase point/service provider.
Recognition
Recognition and acknowledgement are the other compliments customers like to get from the place from where they are supposed to avail a service or have planned to purchase something. Positive recognition is the service customers are always fond of as it makes them happy with the treatment.
Flexibility
Customers love to feel special and always like to hear against their demand. There is a fine line between saying yes and telling them positively no. If you can manage to emphasize on what you can do for them it will sound positive and avoid saying no against what you cannot do, it will generate better response.
Recovery
If a deal goes wrong or proves not up-to-the-mark the customer expects recovery of his investment. Proper and truthful after-sales service can generate excellent customer care and satisfaction because it generates the feel-good feeling a customer really wants out of a transaction.

The outburst of social networks and consumer-generated media over the last few years continues to have a noteworthy impact on advertising as consumers’ confidence on word-of-mouth in the decision-making process has increased significantly.

Consumers are becoming more used-to with online reviews and ratings and are using them to promptly access information that facilitates them make knowledgeable choices.

According to Nielsen’s latest Global Trust in Advertising report, online consumer reviews are the second most trusted source of brand information and messaging, with 72 percent of global consumers surveyed online indicating they trust messages on this platform.

More and more consumers are going online to discover information about businesses they are thinking buying from. Consumers are more probable to use a business if they have upbeat online reviews. The magnitude of online reviews and ratings is mounting for businesses of all varieties. Online reviews and ratings left by consumers play a major role in helping other consumers measuring the excellence and reliability of businesses. Online reviews and ratings have infused into all industries and have become critical components to companies looking to attract new clients.

With ever expanding choices for buying online, and customers eager to shop to get the finest deal, it is imperative that businesses keep on apex of their online status.

A company’s online reputation plays a considerable role in a consumer’s decision-making process. Therefore, it is vital that businesses keep an eye on their customer reviews and feedbacks. They need to be conscious of what people are saying about them online and how to act in response to reviews and comments about them.

It’s critical to retain a positive online status, and an important element of this comprises monitoring different sites for mentions, reviews, and comments. Having a strong online existence plus a visibly-articulated good reputation is of great value to any business. Tracking your online reputation can be time-exhaustive, but it is worth your time so build up a tactic and observe the right places, especially now that consumers are ever more relying on the web to explore companies’ standings before making a purchase.

Thus, the importance and value of online reviews is on the way up!

Businesses in any industry cannot shy away from the fact that reviews help to establish credibility and trust in the minds of potential customers.

No matter how good your products or services are, there will be people who are just not happy with their purchase. When those unhappy customers put down negative reviews about your business online, it can really dent your confidence and reputation. As you know, you can’t erase negative reviews, but you can handle the criticism with some smart strategies:

1. Acknowledge the feedback:

Always acknowledge the feedback to let the customer know you have seen it and are working on the issue. More time you take to acknowledge, more upset or annoyed your customer might get. Even just a simple thank you for the feedback will make your customers feel acknowledged.

2.  Determine the appropriate response:

After acknowledging the feedback, the next step is to provide an appropriate response. While dealing with negative review, it is important to determine the exact feedback you’ve received, as it will decide the response.

If the problem exists, obviously steps should be taken to correct it and your response should explain what is being done to solve the issue.

3. Don’t edit the bad reviews

At times, people may attempt to harm the reputation of others by communicating feedback that has a few facts and also contains some false statements. In such a situation don’t exclude the incorrect portion; the facts should be deliberated to evolve a positive response plan. You will get found out – interestingly, that a few bad reviews alongside good reviews can even have a positive overall effect.

4. Be patient and understanding:

While dealing with offended customers always try and understand why they are frustrated. Try to put yourself into customer’s shoes. Not all negative feedbacks are alike. While some may be related to poor customer service other may be focused on some problem with a product or service. Others may involve constructive criticism like suggestions for improvement. Your response should be to express your appreciation for the feedback.

5.  Consider contacting the person privately

Sometimes it is better to send a private message or email to give you more flexibility to address the complaint.  Corresponding in private gives you the prospect to add a personal touch.

Online shopping websites also known as e-commerce websites are a simple and convenient way to shop. Be it clothes, accessories, gadgets, electric and electronic appliances, books, toys etc., almost everything has an online shop these days. Taking time off busy work schedules and getting stuck in traffic on roads has become an obstruction to shop. E-commerce websites lets you shop at ease, but the question is how safe is it to use internet to pay. You use your credit card or debit card to make online payments, which can easily lead to theft and your bank account will be drained before you realize it. And yes, you won’t get the product you ordered either.

When you are shopping online:

1. Shop from trusted websites that are secured by thwate. You’ll see a lock symbol on the bottom right side of the screen indicating that it’s a safe website to shop online.
2. Use common sense and don’t get tempted. If a website is offering too good discount for a gadget or appliance, it has to be fake. Always check the price of your product online before ordering it.
3. There is always an option to pay-on-delivery, make use of it. Avoid online money transactions and opt for cash or card on delivery instead.
4. Never pay unless you have your product in hand and verified to be genuine. If a company is asking you to wire the money for packaging or deliveries before you get your product, you are in for a fake deal. Such companies ask for a small amount of money compared to the complete cost of product, so that they don’t sound suspicious. Once you pay any sum, you are in a loop where they’ll keep asking for money for something or the other and you might end up paying at least once or twice, hoping they’ll deliver the product.

Emerging e-commerce market has a whole lot of scammers and con artists. Where there is convenience of buying online, there is an equal risk of getting duped. So, buy from well-known and established websites and choose to pay on delivery.

Anyone with an e-mail account, bank account or just plain internet access is vulnerable to scams. Internet scams are getting very common these days like e-mail scams, identity theft, work-at-home scams, fake check scams etc. The list is endless and so is the list of victims. One needs to be aware of scammers or con artists in order to outsmart them. There is no sure shot answer that can define a scammer online. However, there are general rules that do apply to separate scammers from genuine employers.

Most of these con artists come in the form of employers with brilliant career opportunities and loads of money in no time. This is your first clue.

1. If the employer is unknown and is making too many promises to be true, keep them under doubt and do not reveal any personal information that might hurt you in anyway.
2. If the employer has a neat shiny website, but does not hold any real information like names, address, contact number etc., it is a clear indication of a scam.
3. If you receive an e-mail with a job offer without mentioning your name or any proper job description, it is quite possible that it’s a fake e-mail and there isn’t any job. Such people might get you in a circle of crime without your knowledge. So, awareness and precaution is a must for your own safety.

Not all scam artists come as employers, there are many out there making money online out of people’s emotional quotient. Recently, there has been news of a famous con artist pretending to be the wife of a millionaire who is trying to get her deceased husband’s assets from frauds. She urged people to help her by paying for lawyer fees etc.

It is common to get e-mails with pictures and broachers from charitable organizations. Most of these are fake companies with wrong addresses, e-mails etc. These are very smart people playing on general public’s compassion. Make your donations carefully and do your research before you trust someone online.

Technology and World Wide Web has given birth to a new scam every day. The scammers come up with unique ways to cheat and dupe innocent vendors and job seekers. As a hardworking company or employee, it is very important to beware of such con artists. They are innovative, smart and come up with new ways to implement the old tricks. There are few rip-off report websites that let anyone create a free account and post their reviews about anyone and everyone. All these posts are displayed on the forum without checking the credentials of the user.

Fake companies are using rip-off report websites to publish negative reviews for vendors to relieve themselves of any due payments. The only relief for a vendor who gets any negative reviews on such sites is to submit a rebuttal and clarify. This was once being used as a marketing strategy by publishing negative reviews and then clarifying them. However, scammers found a way of conning people through this system. Some fake clients hire vendors and after the completion of work raise complaints about the quality of service. These fake companies use such complaints as a tool for not releasing payments. It is a frustrating experience for a vendor who has finished work on time and is now helpless. It not only ruins reputation of a company but also acts as an excuse for payment.

The only way to avoid such incidents is to keep away from fake companies by checking their previous feedbacks by other vendors. If anything sounds dubious, it is better to check the complete credentials of your client before putting in time and effort for such projects. You can even scroll through ripoff reports websites to find the name of your client. If the client has not bothered to claim a rebuttal or nothing has sorted out, then it might be a scam company and you should stay away.

Job portal is an apt place for all the employers and job seekers to find each other. Famous websites like oDesk, Elance, Guru, etc. have made recruitment a rewarding experience in the past decade. However, every invention has its’ drawbacks and the one involving job portals is scam companies online. There are no sure ways to identify a legitimate company from a scammer, but, being careful while applying jobs can save from losses later. It is important to check the credentials of your client before working for them.

Jobs like work from home or any kind of remote assistance are more prone to dealing with scam companies. Fraud companies use fake name and address and sometimes even use logos of famous companies. So, victims of such companies fall for them easily. These companies can offer to demand money in form of shipping training material etc. This is a clue for you to doubt your client. You can check the employer online through any previous feedbacks or references. Beware of scam companies on job portals as these companies often change domain names every couple of months. These companies not only dupe innocent job seekers and vendors from their money but sometimes also involve them in a global crime ring.

Another popular way of duping a vendor is by holding their payments due to inefficient delivery of work. Fake companies either change the scope of work during the course of project or give additional work without any discussion about the initial bidding. In such cases, it’s the responsibility of the vendor to clear the air and initiate the discussion with the employer about the scope of project and if the overall cost needs to be revised. If both parties ignore the matter while the project is going on, later the employer can give negative feedback and avoid payment. For example, if the client wants to double the workload on the vendor, it is for vendor to discuss with the client about the extension of time limit and revise rates.

After being a victim of such a crime, it’s difficult to explain yourself and get the payment from the employer. So, vendor needs to be assertive and talk about any changes in the project while the work is in progress and not yet delivered. If at all, you are stuck in such a situation, you must take legal action and keep all communication through e-mails recorded for reference.

Most of the time when we open our inbox, we get surprised to see a mail with an odd subject – “Congratulations, you have won a lottery worth thousands of dollars!”

We may be thinking we are very lucky to win such a big sum of money. But when we scroll through the complete mail we realize that actually it is a scam. Since, the email ask us to send a fee to the lottery company for handling the winning amount check. That very moment we realize that the lottery company will never send us our wining amount check or even if it would, we will never be able to cash it.

This is just an example of the variety of scams spread over the internet. Almost every day we hear about someone being ripped off by the scammers or scam company. Internet scams are being practiced very frequently nowadays. Thus, the only way to protect ourselves from scammers is to learn how to recognize such scams:

1. Do not believe a credible-looking website. If it seems too good to be true, it not importantly is.
2. Be cautious of unwanted e-mails as most of them can be scammers.
3. Do not give out any personal information to a business website or anybody without verifying it from a reputable source.
4. Do not respond to the offers that demand you act immediately or won’t take “no” for an answer.
5. Do not open e-mail attachments from unfamiliar sources. They could contain harmful software programs designed to steal your personal information.
6. Watch out for pop-up windows asking you to enter in financial or personal data.
7. Keep anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam and spyware protection installed on your Computer System or Laptop. Utilize and keep these always updated.
8. Watch out for online job ads that read like get-rich-quick schemes. No company will pay tons of money for someone without experience to do easy work.
9. Complicate your passwords. Change them frequently.

Bringing this all in practice will definitely safeguard you from scammers, scam company and online threats.