Many websites display 'seals' or 'badges' of approval for example the Verisign tick-logo. These webseals or trustmarks are used by online traders to show that the site has been approved by an appropriate independent organisation or the trader subscribes to an industry code of conduct.
The aim of such seals is to help you identify trustworthy online businesses. They generally indicate that the site has been assessed against specific criteria developed by an independent organisation associated with that seal. Seals can be a good indicator that you are dealing with a business that cares about providing a good, reliable service.
Protect yourself
You should not rely on the mere presence of one of these seals when deciding whether or not they should buy from an online business. Always go to the seal/code of conduct website and verify that the trader is a member. Usually there will be a link from the trader's website—often from the seal itself. This will sometimes take you to a verification page that gives the name of the trader and server ID information.
Seals can be copied fakes. If there is no link, it is possible that the trader has no real right to display that sign.
You should also check carefully what the seal actually means. Some seals check out web businesses against only one criterion, such as privacy. If you are particularly concerned about refund policies, there is no point relying on a seal that examines only the site's privacy policies.
Remember
Check:
that the business has the right to display the seal of approval—it can be a copied fake
that you understand what the seal stands for
where the trader is from—the seal may not be relevant in Australia.
