At Lazy Magazine, we’re all about outdoor living—helping you choose the right sizes, styles, and types of garden furniture to create your perfect outdoor space. But just as important as designing a beautiful patio and garden is staying safe when shopping online. Protecting yourself from internet scams, identity theft, and financial fraud is essential, ensuring that your outdoor dreams don’t turn into digital nightmares.
Fraudulent websites and fake deals can steal your money or personal information, leading to potential credit card fraud or unauthorised transactions. By shopping only on trusted websites, using secure payment methods, and verifying sellers, you will ensure a safe and hassle-free experience while getting the best value for your money.
In this article, our IT team is looking at the proactive steps you can take to protect your personal information and ensure your online garden furniture purchase is a safe and secure one.
According to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics, covering the year ending June 2024:
There were approximately 3.6 million incidents of fraud experienced by individuals, showing no statistically significant change compared with the previous year's 3.3 million incidents.
However, it's important to note that fraud remains significantly underreported too. The CSEW estimates that fewer than one in seven fraud offences are reported to the police or Action Fraud, indicating that the actual number of incidents is likely much higher.
While specific statistics on online-only fraud in England and Wales for 2024 are limited, a recent report in The Sun newspaper indicated that there has been a significant rise in online scams:
Approximately 43 million British internet users have encountered scams, with about 20% of victims losing over £1,000.
Research by the same paper identified that the top 12 purchases that put UK consumers at risk of scams include concert tickets, jewellery, and designer handbags.
While garden furniture isn't typically a target, we've heard enough horror stories in our industry to know that criminals are always one step ahead. Advanced tactics, like AI voice cloning, have even been used to impersonate trusted individuals—leading to unauthorized transactions or the disclosure of sensitive information.
These developments underscore the ever-evolving nature of online fraud and the need to stay vigilant against emerging scams. Even here at Lazy Susan, as an experienced online retailer, we've encountered our fair share of internet scams—both as individuals and as a business.
At Lazy Susan, the security of our shop and our customers is always our top priority. We partner with a trusted e-commerce platform that provides us with a secure online shopping solution, ensuring our site is properly configured, maintained, and regularly updated. Additionally, our website is hosted on a secure platform, a crucial layer of protection for overall safety.
However, security is an ongoing process—for us and you. Staying vigilant against new threats and vulnerabilities is essential in today’s digital world. To help make your shopping experience with Lazy Susan safe, secure, and enjoyable, our IT team has put together 12 key tips to protect you when shopping online for garden furniture.
1. Shop with reputable websites
“Only shop with well-known and reputable online retailers. Check reviews and ratings to gauge the reliability of the website.”
Stick to a well-known or official brand website. If buying from a lesser-known store, which there are many excellent ones in our industry, then check customer reviews, contact information, and business registration. If you want to speak to a member of our Customer Service team, then you will find all our info on our Contact Page.
At Lazy Susan we have partnered with Trustpilot and, at the time of writing this article, we have 6,396 reviews and an excellent 4.8-star rating. Yes, reviews can be faked too, but that many would be a huge task and we don’t hide from the negative. We make mistakes but we leave our negative reviews on there and you will see replies from our Customer Service team.
However, probably the best customer accreditation we receive is the Customer Photographs we received as part of our Do Some Good charity initiative. Our gallery currently sits at over 5000 photos and you will find many of them utilised across our website's product pages.
Lastly, look for reasonable shipping times—extremely long wait times could indicate a scam. Confirm that the store ships to your location and check for any extra delivery charges or shipping fees. We provide free delivery to the majority of UK customers and you will find details of our delivery service and our shipping partners on our Delivery page.
2. Look for secure outdoor living websites
“Before entering your personal details or payment information, ensure that the website has a secure connection. Look for "https://" in the URL and a padlock icon in the address bar.”
This is shown for our website in the image above and below.
The presence of "https://" and a padlock icon has become a standard security indicator. When users see these symbols, they are more likely to trust the website and feel confident that their information is secure.
The "https://" in our URL indicates that our website uses a secure, encrypted connection. This encryption ensures that the data exchanged between you and our website server is encrypted and cannot easily be intercepted. This is critical when entering sensitive information, such as your credit card details or home address.
The padlock icon signifies that our website uses an SSL/TLS certificate. This certificate helps ensure the integrity of the data being transmitted. It means that the information you send or receive hasn't been tampered with during the transfer process. When you see the padlock, it means that the website has been verified as legitimate, and you are connected to the intended website rather than a fraudulent one.
Other red flags include obvious spelling errors, suspicious domain names, or poorly designed pages. You can also do a Google search for the retailer’s name with keywords like “scam” or “bad reviews”. The internet is a difficult place to hide, if many people are reporting issues like non-delivery, poor quality, or fraudulent charges, it's a warning sign and can save you from losing money, dealing with fake products, or struggling with poor customer service.
3. Use strong and unique passwords
“Create strong, unique passwords for your online accounts. Avoid using the same password across multiple sites.”
Using strong and unique passwords for your online shopping accounts is a fundamental step in safeguarding your personal and financial information.
Follow password best practices and use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, and regularly update your passwords, especially if you've inadvertently shared your password or if there has been a security incident on a website you have used.
The Guardian’s How to create the perfect password article has some great tips and expert advice on how to make your online accounts safe in just a few simple steps.
4. Keep your devices and software up to date
“Keep your devices and software up to date with the latest security patches. Regular updates help protect against vulnerabilities.”
Keeping your devices and software up to date is essential for maintaining a secure and seamless online garden furniture shopping experience. It helps protect your personal and financial information, ensures compatibility with online platforms, and contributes to an overall improved user experience.
The latest updates will often include bug fixes and performance improvements that can enhance the overall stability and functionality of your devices and software. This ensures a smoother and more reliable online shopping experience. So, as annoying and time-consuming as updating to the latest versions is, when prompted, please do it!
5. Beware of phishing scams
“Be cautious of emails, messages, or pop-ups asking for personal or financial information. Legitimate companies won't request sensitive details via email.”
Phishing is a type of cyber attack in which the attackers will use deceptive tactics to trick you into providing personal information, such as your usernames, passwords, credit card details, or other sensitive details.
The term "phishing" is a play on the word "fishing" as they both involve casting bait with the hope that someone will take a nibble. In the case of a phishing attack, the bait could be a fraudulent outdoor furniture sale email, text, social media message or deceptive content/website. If in doubt, don't click it!
6. Use secure payment methods to pay for patio furniture
"Opt for secure payment methods, such as credit cards or trusted payment gateways. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for financial transactions.”
Using a secure payment method such as a credit card with fraud protection or PayPal when shopping online for garden furniture is essential for protecting your financial information and ensuring a safe and reliable transaction.
Secure payment methods use encryption protocols to protect your financial information during the checkout process. This means that your credit card details and personal information are scrambled and can only be deciphered by the intended recipient thus reducing the risk of interception by cybercriminals.
Avoid wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency payments. If an online store only accepts cash app payments (Venmo, Zelle, etc.), it’s likely a scam.
7. Keep track of your transactions
“Regularly review your bank and credit card statements to check for any unauthorised transactions. Report any discrepancies immediately.”
Regularly monitoring your transactions on your bank's app or website will enable you to quickly identify any unauthorised or suspicious activity.
If you notice unfamiliar charges, then you can take immediate action to investigate and report potential fraud. Be proactive - keep an eye on your finances and respond promptly to any issues that arise.
8. Only shop for garden furniture on your own devices
“Whenever possible, shop from devices you own and trust. Avoid making online purchases on public computers.”
When you use your own devices, be it a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone, you have better control over the security settings and you can ensure that they are adequately protected with up-to-date antivirus software.
This will help to reduce the risk of malware and other threats but you still need to practice good cybersecurity. You can and should also set up biometric and 2-factor authentication to add another layer of security wherever possible.
9. If a deal for high-quality garden furniture is too good to be true…
“Exercise caution if a deal seems too good to be true. Scammers often use enticing offers to lure unsuspecting shoppers.”
The adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is often a good rule of thumb when evaluating garden furniture deals online. It is important to conduct thorough research, read reviews, and use your judgment when evaluating pricing, especially if they seem unusually attractive.
Compare prices across multiple websites to ensure realistic pricing and look out for huge discounts on unknown websites—they could be scams. If in doubt, consider seeking advice from trusted sources or doing additional research before you click to buy.
All our promotions are advertised across our website and socials. For example, we are currently offering up to 30% off in our Spring sale, and we regularly offer Promotions and Competitions throughout the year.
Also, make sure that read the return and refund policy carefully and check for restocking fees or hidden charges. If the store doesn’t have a return policy, reconsider buying from them.
At Lazy Susan, our commitment to quality ensures that all products are designed and manufactured using the highest quality materials and production techniques.
To underline the confidence we have in the quality of our furniture, we offer a 3-year Guarantee, and our Returns Policy is designed to be clear, customer-friendly, and environmentally responsible, covering all faulty goods, non-faulty goods, and order cancellations due to delivery complexities.
10. Keep your antivirus software up to date
“Install reputable antivirus software on your devices and keep it updated to protect against malware and other online threats.”
Keeping your antivirus software up to date will help to best protect you. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and new forms of malware are developed regularly. Antivirus software updates include the latest virus definitions and detection mechanisms to identify and remove newly discovered threats.
Providers such as McAfee and Norton are continually improving their algorithms to detect malicious activities. Regular updates will ensure that your antivirus software has the latest and most effective methods for identifying and blocking these threats.
11. Know the latest scams
“Stay informed about common online scams. Be wary of unsolicited emails, fake websites, and phishing attempts.”
Staying informed about the latest online scams is an ongoing effort, however, by adopting a proactive approach to online security you can protect yourself. Just remember to verify the credibility of the sources you follow to ensure that the information you receive is accurate and trustworthy.
You can follow reputable cybersecurity news websites such as The National Cyber Security Centre to keep up to date with the latest data.
12. Don’t be afraid to report it
“Reporting online scams is important as it helps protect individuals, organisations, and society as a whole from the negative impacts of cybercrime.”
If you do encounter any online shopping or email scams, then don’t feel embarrassed, it can happen to us all, but you must report it.
If you have been a victim of fraud or encountered something suspicious, including fraudulent emails or websites, then please do not open any attachments or click any links. Report all incidents of fraud to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, via their website or call them on 0300 123 2040.
By following our IT team's simple guidelines, you can keep safe and secure when shopping online for new outdoor furniture and reduce the risk of falling victim to a scam or identity theft.
If you have any photos of our garden furniture range in your outdoor space, we’d love to see a few for our Do Some Good charity campaign. You can tag us @LazySusanFurniture on Instagram or Facebook or Upload It Here.
