As the holiday shopping season begins, Shopping.com is teaming up with TRUSTe to ensure that its merchants safeguard shoppers’ personal data. To give shoppers an added measure of confidence when making a purchase, Shopping.com will begin to require merchants to have their privacy policies independently certified in order to maintain their listing as a “Trusted Store” on Shopping.com.

Shopping.com, an eBay company, pioneered online comparison shopping. Today it is one of the fastest-growing shopping destinations on the Internet. The Shopping.com Trusted Store status is awarded to merchants who receive consistent positive customer ratings and reviews, provide accurate information, and honor the prices listed on their sites. The TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal will certify that merchants comply with the highest standards for safeguarding shoppers’ personal information and enforce respectful treatment of customers for as long as merchants display the seal.

“Shopping.com and TRUSTe’s agreement marks our latest initiative to serve both consumers and merchants by fostering a safe and secure environment in which they can conduct business,” said Iggy Fanlo, president of worldwide field operations for Shopping.com.

“As the first comparison-shopping site to require TRUSTe certification of its trusted merchants, Shopping.com is taking the lead in truly creating a safer shopping experience,” said Fran Maier, executive director and president of TRUSTe. “TRUSTe believes that a combination of user experience ratings and our exhaustive look into online data collection and use practices provides the idea combination of shopper-to-shopper advice and expert third-party oversight.”

 

MAXAMINE