Bad and ill-informed Press Scares the Purchasing Public

Ever since the Internet became a tool that enabled companies to market
services and or goods, there has been a stigma against purchasing any
product over the Internet. This is due to press reports of the many
"Scams". Now that the ebook is coming to the fore, many authors are
placing their faith in a growing number of Internet publishers.
Publishers such as Global Publishing Bureau Limited
(http://www.gpb.surf1.com), Hollow Hills Publishing and not to forget
Amazon. Companies such as these are taking the lead in promoting the
work of new and existing authors from all over the world. The
misinformation attached to the transmission of credit card details over
the Internet needs to be dispelled, this is so the growing market in
ePublishing can be developed alongside and in conjunction with the
conventional publisher.

Professional and well regulated Internet publishing companies, as well
as the merchant banks they employ make every effort to ensure that the
credit card details and information sent to them is well protected.

The purchasing public and Internet users should be made aware that
transactions made over the Internet are only secure when the transaction
is made through a secure web page. The purchaser can check, before
entering their details in to any computer attached to the Internet by
looking for a little coloured padlock on the bottom right of the credit
card payment page. The padlock indicates that the transaction is being
processed through a secure server. Encryption and many other types of
data protection achieve the required safeguards that will insure your
information is protected.

Authors, who market their books through Internet Publishers, generally
receive considerably higher royalty rates than authors who market their
books through publishers that publish and distribute books via
conventional means. Unfortunately, at present, the large market that is
available to the author through the Internet cannot be realised; this is
due to the fears and miss information that the tabloid press portrays
about the Net.

I do not advocate that there is not a problem with some transmissions of
personal and confidential information over the Internet. However, if
the purchasing public were made aware of the fact that there is a safe,
secure facility that reputable sites use, the chances are that
confidence in this vast market may begin to develop.

Things to look for in a website that sell a product over the Internet.

1. Secure website trading. A padlock in the bottom right of the payment
page.
2. The Link ink to the secure payment page should be prefixed with an
'S' i.e. shtml:// rather than just html://
3. Is there information about the bank, who's facilities are used on the
website? If the website is a reputable one, then there is generally a
link to, or information about the Merchant Bank that the Web Company is
in partnership with.
4. Do not be afraid to ask either the website owner or the merchant bank
for more information about their facilities. If the information is slow
in coming or does not come at all, do not make your purchase.

With the Internet 'BOOM' fizzling out to a muffled 'bang'! Now is a good
time to place the bad press and misinformation to one side. Purchasing
over the Internet can be safe as long as you take care and heed the
danger signs.

About the Author

Dave Wisson
Re-tune your Web Browser to http://www.gpb.surf1.com
A world of entertainment and Ideas.
Global Publishing Bureau.