Staying safe while shopping online

We take online safety very seriously. We’re also aware that fraudsters have all sorts of ways of exploiting customers, including sending scam emails, surveys and texts that claim to be from retailers like ourselves or pose as legitimate brands on social media sites.

We have therefore put together this page with some FAQ's to help you stay safe when shopping online

Secure online shopping at Discounted Cleaning Supplies

  • A padlock will be visible in the address bar of your web browser, this means you are in a secure mode – this should always be when entering personal or payment details.
  • Being in secure mode means all the details you send to us are encrypted at (4096 bits) and for increased security, we use an Extended Validation (EV) Certificate to show our name in your browser similar to financial institutions.
  • Our partners use advanced encryption so that your card details cannot be seen and we have no need to store any of your details on our site.
  • All our orders use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) – this prevents you from inadvertently revealing any personal information.
  • We use your card details to process your orders and we will ask for them for every order placed.
  • The three digit card signature code will be required to place an order – this ensures that your card cannot be misused. This will need to be entered every time you place an order.
  • We recommend you always log off and close down your internet browser when you have finished shopping. Especially if you are using a shared PC.

Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode

What is it?

Discounted Cleaning Supplies participates in Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode for added online payment security. These services are offered by Visa and MasterCard, in association with the bank that has issued your credit / debit card. It is aimed at protecting your details when shopping online by ensuring your card is not being used by someone else and is becoming a standard across all shopping websites.

What will you see?

If your card qualifies and you haven’t yet registered, simply follow the onscreen instructions. This process will create an online code (different to your card PIN – but is an online PIN equivalent) for use on Discounted Cleaning Supplies and other participating websites.

This is a completely secure process. The information you provide is completely private, will only be visible to you and your card issuer, and would never be shared with other parties.

If you're unsure about this service, you may be able to complete your order without registering but your card issuer will eventually require you to register to continue shopping online.

Having Difficulty?

If you would like to learn more about these services or have any difficulty with the process, please contact your card issuer who should be able to assist you. Alternatively, you can always place your order or call our customer service team on 01270 586336.

Applicable card types

How do I spot a scam text message

Be wary of text (SMS) messages relating to competitions or voucher giveaways. Check official sites or contact the company directly using the contact details directly from the website. Report anything you don't think is authentic.

Discounted Cleaning Supplies will never contact you via SMS.

How do I spot a scam on social media

Be wary of text (SMS) messages relating to competitions or voucher giveaways. Check official sites or contact the company directly using the contact details directly from the website. Report anything you don't think is authentic.

Anyone can be targeted and fraudsters often request personal information or ask you to confirm information.

How do I report a scam

We requested that you forward any suspicious emails or screenshots to [email protected].

You can also help tackle fraud by contacting Action Fraud and reporting any incident to them.

How do I pick a safer password

  • Make it long, the longer the password the more secure it is.
  • Consider basing your password on a sentence or phrase or mixing some together.
  • Use a mix of numbers and special characters.
  • Don’t use the same password for all your online accounts – you could end up having all your accounts hacked if a website is breached.
  • Don’t use people’s names – passwords like this are easily cracked using common hacking tools.
  • Try to avoid words that can be guessed after a little research on social media.
  • Use a secure password manager to generate and store your passwords.

For more on passwords visit: https://www.cyberaware.gov.uk/passwords

For more on password managers: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/what-does-ncsc-think-password-managers

How do I avoid computer viruses

It's important to have antivirus software installed to help protect yourself from online attacks. Although you can’t prevent every cyber attack with antivirus software, it can prevent hackers from getting into your computer or mobile device.

Not every intrusion into a computer is meant to cause damage or steal valuable information, that doesn’t mean the attack isn’t dangerous. All intrusions into a computer exploit what is known as a vulnerability, or a weakness in the computer’s operating system or other software.

Here are a few tips to help you stop spyware infecting your device:

  • Only download and install programs from websites you trust
  • Only buy trusted and well-known, subscription-based programs
  • Read security information, privacy statements and licence agreements when you install software
  • Don’t click 'OK' or 'I Agree' on pop-up windows, unless you know what you’re signing up for
  • Make sure you keep your device’s software up to date. Software and app updates contain vital security updates that help protect your devices from cyber criminals.

Additional security steps and more advice on staying safe online

You can configure your web browser to tell you when your details are being sent and to warn if they are not being sent in a secure way, to activate this:

Internet Explorer - select OPTIONS on the VIEW menu and then click the SECURITY tab, ensure that all the warning boxes have been ticked

Firefox - select TOOLS then OPTIONS on the tools menu and then click the SECURITY tab, go into settings of the warning messages section - ensure that all the warning boxes have been ticked.

Online security is constantly evolving so, if you are using older versions of your chosen internet browser we recommend you update your browser to a later version of IE in order to take full advantage of the improved security features.

We also recommend the use of a firewall and virus checking facility. 

If you need more information on how to stay safe online

Try these…

https://www.getsafeonline.org/

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

https://ico.org.uk/

https://www.cyberaware.gov.uk/

If you have any further concerns about security, please Email customer services or call our customer service team on 01270586336.

(Discounted Cleaning Supplies is not responsible for the content of external websites)