Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is my transaction secure?
2. How do I purchase products from the stores within ishop?
3. What if I have problems ordering?
4. Who is responsible for delivering my purchases?
5. Guarantees, shipping and taxes?
6. What if I do not receive my goods?
7. When is my credit card debited?
8. What happens if my card authorisation fails?
9. What risks are involved in buying on-line?
10. Will ishop give my details to other companies?

Is my transaction secure?:
Every on-line transaction made within the ishop mall is transmitted across the Internet using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. This industry standard method ensures that information sent from your browser is scrambled whilst in transit and decoded when it arrives on our server. When we pass your information to the merchant from whom you made the purchase this is done using PGP encrypted mail. You are far safer using your credit card within ishop than you are in a restaurant in you local high street.

We take the issue of security very seriously and have taken every step possible to protect you. Our servers sit behind a state of the art hardware fire wall and the computer that handles the card services is a bastion host of the ishop mall servers, and not accessible from the Internet. We have employed the services of one of the countries leading security experts who regularly monitors and updates our systems.

How do I purchase products from the stores within ishop?:
We have made buying from stores as secure and simple as possible. The shops within the ishop mall each have a shopping basket unique to that shop and this basket will store items you have placed within it for up to four hours.

Each item for sale will have an order button. When you press this button the order status bar towards the top of the page will automatically update with the total quantity and value of your basket contents. Besides the order button you can enter the quantity of each product you wish to purchase before clicking order . You can change this quantity by clicking on the checkout link in the top or side navigation of the shop. This basket also allows you to continue shopping, remove an item or check out and place your secure order. It is at this time you would be asked for your name and address and then your credit card details if the shop has online authorisation.

To search for an item either enter a keyword into the status bar at the top of the page and click on the go button, or click on the search button within the navigation. Your search results will be displayed on a separate page where you can choose from text or graphic search results. To return to the shop in which you began, simply select the back button in your browser or right click on your mouse and select back.

Not all shops accept credit cards however they will have alternative methods of payment displayed within their shop. If you were to purchase goods from more than one shop it is necessary to check out from each shop separately. From within the order-processing page you can become an ishop member, by doing this will entitle you to various promotions but also enables us to store your personal information to assist you when checking out. This information will be stored in a "cookie" on your computer.

We will not store any such information on our system, in order to protect your privacy. The only details we cannot store are your credit card details. From within each shop you can view items in the shopping basket and amend them accordingly simply by going to the 'show order' section.

What if I have problems ordering?:
Common reasons for problems when pressing the order button are;
i) You are using an old browser that doesn't support SSL encryption.
ii) You are browsing from behind a corporate firewall that will not allow secure connections. Speak to the system administrator at your office. They will either fix the problem or you will have to order from another location.

To check, point your browser to https://www.microsoft.com/ if you cannot connect to the Microsoft secure server it is likely that one of the above faults apply.
If you are able to connect to Microsoft please call our hotline number and report the fault to us. We will assist you if we can.

Who is responsible for delivering my purchases?:
ishop do not own the stores in the mall. The store from which you made your purchase is solely responsible for the delivery of your goods. Delivery arrangements will vary from store to store and details can be obtained from the merchant's shop.

Guarantees shipping and taxes?:
Guarantees, shipping and tax policies should be described on each stores info page. This page is almost always available from the button bar. If you are in any doubt, contact the merchant before making the purchase. They will be happy to assist you.

What if I do not receive my goods?:
Firstly, check the delivery details given by the merchant in their site. Some goods will take longer to ship if, for instance, you are not on the UK mainland, or the article you have purchased is made to order.

If you feel there is cause for complaint, contact the merchant first of all, and if the problem persists, please contact us on 01279 710000. Please have your order number to hand, this will be included in the e-mail you receive when you have ordered goods from any shop within ishop.

When is my credit card debited?:
Your card will normally be debited when the goods are dispatched. An authorisation takes place when you make your order, this simply guarantees that the funds are available on your card and that payment will be made to the merchant. This authorisation remains valid for ten days.

When the goods are dispatched, the order management system will debit funds from your account overnight directly into the trader's account.

What happens if my card authorisation fails?:
If the authorisation fails, the most likely explanation is that you have input your card details incorrectly. If this happens, press the back button on your browser and you will be back in the card input page. Check that all the details are correct, and make any changes necessary before proceeding once more.

If all the details are correct then we would advise that you contact the card issuer to check for any reasons why your card was not authorised. The trader will receive your order anyway and may contact you to arrange for alternative methods of payment.

What risks are involved in buying online?:
From a shoppers point of view, the risks involved in buying online are virtually nil. All personal data, including your card number is transmitted over secure connections, meaning that no-one can "eavesdrop" and capture your details. In addition to this, your card details are not passed to the merchant at all, they are simply transmitted over the bank's private network for authorisation and payment transactions.

If your goods do not turn up and you have not managed to resolve the problem through the trader or us, then contact your card issuer. You are protected because the transaction was carried out as "Cardholder not present." This means that any payments will be refunded to your card should it be used fraudulently by someone else or you do not receive what you ordered.

Will ishop give my details on to other companies to send junk mail?:
No. We will never forward your information without your consent. Please read our privacy policy for more details.