Review A Local E-Commerce Site

Phelauwer Boutique is an online boutique that specializes in selling a wide assortment of female clothing and accessories which was created by 2 ladies or "crazy shopaholic monsters", as they comically refer themselves, to share their passion in shopping.


The site itself radiates with femininity, reflecting the items sold, from the pink flower that greets you when you first enter, to the soothing pink background used throughout the web site. Among the items offered are dresses, tops, bags, belts, shoes and the list goes on. Pictures of items are provided in abundance as well as models to give customers an idea on how the clothing would look like when worn. The site also provided some useful tools for customers looking to shop such as a size referencing chart to check their sizes before purchasing and a calculator for easy tabulation.


The shipping methods provided in this site are convenient and simple to understand. Payments can be made either through cash transfer or cash on delivery. The navigation in this website is user friendly making it easy for customers to pinpoint items of interest. Links are also provided to other sites that complements the items sold in Phelauwer Boutique. This website has also received many positive reviews from other e-shopping sites and was even awarded a certification of being a trusted online fashion shop by SPSHOP.BIZ.


Phelauwer Boutique is definately worth checking out especially for those looking for trendy, eye-catching array of clothings.

Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies

A corporate weblog is published and used by an organization to reach its organizational goals. The advantage of blogs is that posts and comments are easy to reach and follow due to centralized hosting and generally structured conversation threads. Currently, all major browsers (including Firefox, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer 7) support RSS technology, which enables readers to easily read recent posts without actually visiting the blog, which is very useful for low-volume blogs.

In order to maintain a competitive edge, corporations are increasingly looking for opportunities to make them stand out. Although traditional media serves as a solid medium that disperses company messaging to the world, the trends of information consumption are evolving. After some initial hesitancy, corporations are slowly starting to realize that it is important to jump on the virtual bandwagon of blogging. This medium represents the missing ingredient that traditional media lacks: the ability to directly connect a company to its customers.

As at February 4, 2008, there are currently 136 organisations has their corporate blogs. Among the big names include Accenture, Boeing, General Motors, Google, Dell, Adobe, facebook and a lot more. A complete list can be obtained from The NewPR/Wiki. February 11, 2009.According to the research, 60 (12%) of the Fortune 500 are blogging as of

Although there are many different types of corporate blogs, most can be categorized as either external or internal.

Internal blogs
An internal blog, generally accessed through the corporation's Intranet, is a weblog that any employee can view. The informal nature of blogs may encourage employee participation, free discussion of issues, collective intelligence, direct communication between various layers of an organization, and a sense of community. It is mainly used for collaboration and knowledge management.

External blogs
An external blog is a publicly available weblog where company employees, teams, or spokespersons share their views. The purpose is often used to announce new products and services (or the end of old products), to explain and clarify policies, or to react on public criticism on certain issues. External corporate blogs can also offer a more honest and direct view than traditional communication channels and remaining public relations tools.

Related link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_blog

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction.

E-auctions (or electronic reverse auctions as they are sometimes called) are on-line auctions where selected bidders submit offers electronically against the purchaser’s specification. All communication following and including the invitation to pre-qualified bidders to submit new prices and/or values must be instantaneous (electronic). Electronic auctions can be used for goods, services and works. Only price and quality elements which can be expressed as a value suitable for incorporation within a formula can be included at the auction Stage. Other quality aspects must be assessed prior to the auction stage.

There are some types of e-auction fraud:
1) Bid Shielding (by the buyers)
- Done by a buyer to keep the price high until the end of an auction to discourage other bidders. The high bid is retracted leaving the buyer’s second account as the new high bidder. Note that a buyer has to have two separate accounts or a partner to accomplish this. With eBay’s new rules on late bid retractions, it is more difficult, but not impossible to ahield low bids.

2) Shilling(by the sellers)
- Sellers arrange to have fake bids placed on their items (either by associates or by using multiple user IDs) to artificially jack up bids. If the legitimate high bid does not meet their expectations as the end of an auction draws near, they might pop in to sell the item themselves.

The below following are the things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction:
1)Become familiar with the auction website. Look and search into the websites protection policies. Consumer need to do some research about the e-auction process so that would be more familiar. Look into some of the e-auction website for example, eBay and Amazon.

2) Never ever simply give out your personal data, social security number, credit card number, or bank account information. Do not simply open that information until you have thoroughly checked out the seller and the escrow service. For example, if there are some e-mail messages from someone that you don't know who asking about your personal data such as account number, password, and credit card number which cannot just send the information without knowing more about who they asking.

3)Buyer protections such as the PayPal Protection Program shield buyers by covering up to $500 of their purchase at no additional cost. For example, the eBay Standard Purchase Protection Program provides up to $200 coverage (minus a $25 processing cost) for items that are not received or items that are not as described in the listing.

4) If you’re going to pay with a money order or a check, use an escrow service. Otherwise the seller could be gone with your money when you realize the goods are not what you expected. For details on how escrow services work for auctions, see auctions.yahoo.com and ftc.gov.

5)Many sellers don’t have process credit cards. But they might accept payments through such services as PayPal. It accepts common credit cards. The buyer makes the payment through PayPal’s Web site (http://www.paypal.com/), and the seller will immediately paid. The service is free to the buyer, while the seller pays a small free.

6)Consumers should read the requirements and conditions that the website requested. Bear in mind the specific conditions especially the conditions of payments.

7)Review the feedback forum rating for the seller.If the seller has a history of negative feedback, then the participants do not bid with the particular seller.

8)If after the sale you feel the item or payment should have been delivered already, try to work it out with the seller or buyer. Must check the received goods carefully. If there are any damage or unmatched, you must return back to the seller within the duration. Furthermore, if at that point you feel that fraud is involved, immediately contact your state attorney general’s office and the FTC at http://www.ftc.gov/

Related links:

http://www.crimcheck.com/background-check-news/whats-internet-auction-fraud-and-how-do-i-prevent-it

http://www.answers.com/topic/reverse-auctions

A review on a post on Legal from My E-Commerce blog

Review of the post "UK to get tough with illegal downloader"

Nowadays, most of the people like to listening to music or watching some movies online, and there are also many internet users who like to download music or movies from the internet to their computer. However, they do not know that most of the time, they are actually downloading them illegally and may face legal action.


According to the survey, in UK itself, there are 6 million people who download files illegally every year. This will actually cost the music and film companies millions of pounds in lost revenues.

By reading another post on custompc.co.uk, it says that the new UK legislation will force ISPs to ban anyone caught downloading files illegally. The UK government is said to be planning to introduce a 'three strikes and you're out' scheme in order to effectively ban the offenders from the Internet.

'Three strikes and you're out' scheme means that users will receive a warning e-mail for the first offence if they are suspected of wrongly downloading films or music. Then, if they did the same at the second time, they will face a suspension. Lastly, their internet contract will be terminated if they are caught for the third time.

The ISPs are asked to enforce this law and if they fail to comply, they will be prosecuted, with the suspected customer's details made available to the courts. But there are some negative voices made on this demand. The ISPs do not think it is their responsibility to monitor what the people download but the customers themselves should take it. Besides, they also face difficulty to comply because they have the obligation that they cannot disclose their customers' personal data.

Piracy ? Or Privacy ?? Which is more important between these two? This is a debatable question and also a tough problem waiting to be solved.

The application of pre-paid cash card for consumers

Today, pre-paid cash card with contactless interfaces are becoming increasingly popular for payment and ticketing applications. This card is very convenience and efficient for those people who time is gold and who frequently use public transport. This is because one of the pre-paid cash card benefits is save time, which no need to q up buying the ticket. Pre-paid cash card are also being introduced in personal identification such as citizen cards. For example in Malaysia, the compulsory national ID scheme MyKad includes 8 different applications and one of it applications is for pre-paid cash card (Touch ‘n Go).

1. Touch 'n Go Card

Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd incorporated in October 1996 and officially launched its services in March 1997. Touch ‘n Go card is an electronic purse that can be used in all highways in Malaysia, public transport in whole Selangor area, selected parking sites and theme park. Since February 2009, Touch ‘n Go has been extended their services to airport users of KL International Airport (KLIA) and Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). Touch ‘n Go has also provide innovative, reliable and efficient products and service for the user. User can reload the card at toll plazas, train stations, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Cash Deposit Machines, Petrol kiosks and at authorized third party outlets. These bring a lot of convenience for Touch ‘n Go users.

2. Octopus Card

Octopus Holdings Limited was established in 2005. Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. Each Octopus card has a built-in microchip containing an electronic purse and other applications which can accurately record the holders' transaction details. Therefore, Octopus card is widely used in Hong Kong for purchases on public transport, in convenience stores, fast food restaurants, supermarkets, cake shops, vending machines, schools and parking. However, Octopus card is also used for office and residential premises access control.

3. EZ-Link Card

EZ-Link Pte Ltd (EZL) was formed on the 8 January 2002. EZ-Link card is a contactless smart card, and it is similar to the Octopus card in Hong Kong. This card is commonly used in Singapore as a smartcard for paying transportation fees in the city state’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT) and public bus services. Furthermore, EZ-Link system has been expanded in Singapore branches of Mcdonald’s for payments uses. However, some schools in Singapore have also started to adopt the EZ_Link card as a way to mark the attendance of students and to pay for food served within the school campus. EZ-Link has also provided Door Access Control which by Internet Ready that allows you to manage your security system wherever you are.

4. Oyster Card

Oyster card is launched in July 2003 with a limited range of features. It is also a contactless smartcard which is similar with EZ-Link card in Singapore and Octopus card in Hong Kong. Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing which used on bus, Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services in London. However, Oyster card can also be used as stored-value cards, which holding electronic funds of money. This system is known as “pay as you go” (PAYG) because instead of holding a season ticket, the user only pays at the point of use.

5. Compass Card

There is another contactless smart card which called Compass card in San Diego Country. This card normally used on Metropolitan Transit System (MTS Buses), MTS Trolley, North Country Transit District (NCTD Buses (Breeze), NCTD Coaster and NCTD Sprinter routes.

Related links:

Touch n Go card:
http://www.touchngo.com.my/

Octopus card:
http://www.octopus.com.hk/company/en/index.jsp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_card

EZ-Link card:
http://www.ezlink.com.sg/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EZ-Link

Oyster card:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_card

Compass card:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_Card

A review on a post on e-tailing from My E-Commerce blog

Review of the post “Using Touch n Go card to buy fast food in Malaysia will be a reality"

Touch ‘n Go is a pre-load cash card that is well-known for being a public transportation, toll and parking paying device. It brings the convenience to consumers by enhances the speed of paying for low value but high frequency transactions. Apart from the speed, users also no longer need to prepare for small change or wait in queue at the cash lane to complete the transaction.

Touch ‘n Go expanded their applications and services towards the retail purchase, starting with particularly the fast-food industry. Now, users can buy burger, doughnut or fastfood from 21 outlets involved in a pilot scheme for Touch n Go card. Among the participating outlets are A&W, Burger King, Dunkin' Donut, 7-eleven, Carrefour hypermarkets, Caltex convenience stores and Cineleisure. The company will keep on increasing their outlets and it takes time because they had to supply the card readers and backend solutions for every outlets.

Touch ‘n Go is an electronic purse that supports Bank Negara’s move for a cashless society. Nowadays, it is strongly recommended to everyone for not bringing too many cash in hand. This is due to the increasing crime rate. By bring Touch ‘n Go instead of cash, the chances of our money being stolen or robbed will be greatly reduced.

If your card was lost or stolen, what should you do? Need not worry at all., what you have to do is just call the company to let them know that your card is stolen or lost, and they will block the card immediately for you. Worrying for the remaining value in the card? They will issue a new card to you with the exactly same amount remaining. From this you can see the benefits of holding a card rather than holding a bunch of cash.

Last but not least, the card could also be a good way of controlling children's spending as this could be their one card from taking public transport to buying their lunch or snacks. The transactions can be traced by the parents so that they know where and how much they children have spent.

Mobile payment systems in Malaysia: Its potentials and consumers’ adoption strategies.

Mobile payment is new and rapidly-adopting alternative payment method. Instead of paying with cash, check or credit cards, a consumer can use a mobile phone to pay the payments. The mobile device is now becoming an essential management tool for users. Furthermore mobile payment also called as M-payment. Mobile Payment is paying for goods, services or makes transaction with a mobile device such as mobile phone, Smartphone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or other such device.

There are four primary models for mobile payments:
Ø Premium SMS based transactional payments
Ø Direct Mobile Billing
Ø Mobile web payments (WAP)
Ø Contactless NFC (Near Field Communication)

Through the stating of these, mobile payment systems have large potentials in Malaysia. One of the examples of mobile payment is Mobile money. Mobile Money is a PIN- based Mobile Payment Solution designed by Mobile Money International Sdn Bhd. It unlocks the power of the mobile phone to make payments, allowing registered users to pay for goods and services at anytime, anywhere when using only a mobile phone with a 6-digit security PIN (Personal Identification Number) via SMS (Short Messaging Service). They give the freedom to the shoppers to buy products online and pay the merchant using his or her mobile phone without being physically present at the store.











Nowadays, the mobile payment strategies become more and more. The mobile payment can be used to purchase any number of digital goods and physical goods. For example digital goods are videos, online games subscription, ringtones, wallpapers and music offers in the newspaper, magazine or website so that can purchase using mobile device. Most of the people purchase those digital goods via mobile payment such as via GPRS or WAP or premium SMS based on the transaction payment. For example to buy the tickets such as booking cinema ticket or air ticket through mobile payment. While purchase digital goods by SMS based transaction payments or mobile web payment (WAP).

This unique method of payment, known as “Mobile Money” is speedy, convenient and cost effective. Using only the mobile phone for approval of transactions and payments, there is no longer a need for the physical plastic card, merchant terminals or Internet terminals. Payment requests are delivered via SMS and therefore, there is no need for card members to be present at the point of sales or at the merchant outlets. For example, Digi, Maxis, Hotlink, Celcom, Visa Wave Payment and Maybank are some of the example which also launch the mobile payment systems. Other example such as using the Hong Leong Mobile Credit Card of each transaction will be rewarded with instant cash rebate and the cash rebates accumulated can be used to make purchases at any “Mobile Money” retail outlet.

The potential of mobile payment system in Malaysia as the below following:
1)When using mobile payment no need to carry out a lot of money when purchase or transaction. Although the mobile payment still new developing in Malaysia.

2)To build up for the consumer to use the mobile payment so that it should be a convenient, speed, simplicity and safety way for the consumers. So that it will continue to grow consumer’s confident through the mobile payment strategies.

3)It also many increased a lot of new mobile device users. Indeed, the large mobile subscriber base and the positive transformational effects of mobile payments offer a unique opportunity to open up the financial system to more customers and communities, in order to achieve financial inclusion for all segments of our society.

For the consumer’s adoption strategies as the following:
1)The adoption of mobile payments for consumers, can educate them about the mobile payments, how to use and functions such as bill payment, mobile purchase, using those GPRS or WAP can directly make payment.

2)Provide more security collaborate solution of mobile payment for the consumers so that mobile users will more confident and satisfaction when using mobile payment.

3)At the same time, “Mobile Money” offers a whole new world of opportunities to merchants because they can also run their own loyalty programmed and offer bonus points , promotion, rewards and various incentives to their customers who are “Mobile Money” members, further enhancing the benefits as well as encourage the adoption of paying via this mobile payment system. For example, Maxis e-billing Service lets you pay or view Maxis bills online safely, securely and conveniently. Thus there are no charges when you sign up online.

Mobile Payment System



Related Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_payment

Maxis and Maybank testing Mobile payment systems
http://www.mobile88.com.my/News/read.asp?file=/2007/11/9/20071108201348&sec=News

Hong Leong Bank Launches the World's First Mobile Credit Card http://www.hlb.com.my/news/2005/corn148.jsp?flag=102005

DiGi- Mobile Bill Payment Systems and e-billing
http://www.digi.com.my/postpaid/digi_postpaid/why_postpaid/post_mi_hppaybill.do?page=how
http://www.digi.com.my/postpaid/digi_postpaid/why_postpaid/post_mi_ebilling.do