The same can be said of the Internet in 1999. It holds all sorts of dangers for those who venture down its cyber-pathways, especially for those traveling with money.

During the last few weeks of December, I received all sorts of inquiries, and complaints, about people who have had unpleasant experiences with Web-based mail order companies. Most of these stories were from people who live here in Japan and ordered all sorts of items from the United States and Canada. Besides goods that were paid for and never received, many experienced poor service, received damaged goods, or what they got just wasn't what was advertised.

There was one especially interesting case of a fellow who ordered several calendars in late November from a company in North America (with a great looking website) that shipped them via sea mail, in spite of the fact that he paid for air mail delivery. As they were gifts for the Holidays, and there was no chance they would be arriving on time, he complained bitterly to the owner of the company. What he got back was a sob story about how hard it is to find good help these days, along with the assurance that the employees responsible for the error had been reprimanded. All well and good but that didn't change the fact that several of his well-chosen gifts didn't make it under the Christmas tree.

There have always been thieves, fools and idiots running around the world of business. For the astute, these dregs were always easy to spot. But the rise of E-Commerce has put consumers at a bit of a disadvantage. Anyone with the money or know-how to put a real nice website together can give the worst boiler room operation the appearance of being a world-class company.

Don't get me wrong. There are many reliable mail order companies on the Internet that are first rate operations. The Web has also enabled smaller companies to do business on a global scale. Expatriates like myself would probably find life overseas intolerable if it weren't for the ability to order things from one's native land.

Yet the fact remains that the Internet is still a lot like the Wild West when it comes to business. Until Wyatt Earp shows up, here are some tips for buying things in Cyberspace:

1. Contact Details - Does the company's website contain phone and fax numbers along with a proper street address? Are they prominently displayed or well hidden? A post office box is not a good sign, although some cottage industries located in rural areas use them because it is a more reliable way to receive mail. It is always best to do business with someone who has invested in a proper office.

2. Shipping/Delivery/Satisfaction Policy - As with a regular mail order catalog, all the terms and conditions of sale should be prominently displayed. Read the fine print. Most E-Commerce sites in the United States and Canada are still geared towards sales in North America. A money-back-guarantee if you return the goods in question will be quite expensive from Japan.

3. Request a Quotation - This is especially important for those living in Japan. Although many online ordering systems can automatically calculate international delivery charges, the person behind the scenes responsible for sending packages could have flunked out of Hamburger Flipping School (the problem behind the calendar tale mentioned earlier). Send an email message requesting an exact quotation that includes the delivery charges to Japan as well as the specific means of delivery. This will limit the chance of any misunderstands and gives you the name of someone to refer to if there is.

4. Send the Order and Money by Post - I know that several companies in the E-Commerce business will not like this recommendation, but at this stage of the game I would still not use a credit card on the Internet if the company I am ordering from is not located in the country in which I live. It is not fear of someone stealing the number over the Net, it is just that paper is taken more seriously than email in any dispute across borders. Print out the email messages of your request for a quotation along with the response you received from the company, and send it to along with a check, money order or bank draft. Credit card details should be contained in a letter that also specifies the total price for the order.

5. Are Paper Catalogs Available? - Companies that distribute catalogs in the mail seem to run the most efficient and problem-free E-Commerce systems. An old rule: those who get it right on paper tend to do really well on computers.

   Next month: What to do if your E-Commerce transaction goes bad.

   Thomas Caldwell is a freelance journalist working and living in Tokyo. He can be reached at caldwell@gol.com.
   
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