How to Protect Yourself when Ordering Online

Look for the Privacy Policy that guarantees that they will not sell, trade or give away any of your information.
At checkout, on the checkout page, be certain that the address bar at the top of the page begins with “https” not just “http”. This means those who have "https" are secured. A secured website checkout page prevents your information from being stolen by hackers and thieves. The "https" will only show up on the checkout page, not on the sites regular pages.
Research the merchant you are going to deal with. Watch for the warning signs of a merchant that may not be stable.

Locating their address is difficult and "buried" in their site or the address is a P.O. Box. Some merchants even use a UPS mail drop store in another state for their "address".
A legitimate seller will prominently display their street address and phone number.
Returns that must be shipped to different address or, even worse, to different state.

Do a Google Search: Google the merchants name then the word “reports”. For example “Countryside Pet Supply reports”. You will find the good and, if any exists – the bad and the ugly about the merchant.
Check to see if there have been complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. If the merchant has a poor rating, find a different merchant to deal with. Internal website ratings can be faked, the BBB can not be faked.
Stay out of websites that have poor ratings.