Internet Auctions Users can post items for sale and set a minimum price for it. Other internet users can now bid for the item being sold. These items may be sold for very low prices or very high prices. Although users must register to use the website security is still a great concern.

Steps The homepage has options to buy or sell or register or users’ homepage or help. If buy is chosen then a category also has to be chosen which will list the items and current bids and the date the auction will be finished You can also choose to watch the item you are bidding on. At the end you pay the owner and give them your contact details and it will be delivered. At times owners insist on cheques which will take longer

Advantages of online auctions Sellers can sell items they no longer need Prices can be lower than in a shop There is a wider market There is wider selection of goods NB Refer to other advantages associated with online shopping

Disadvantages of online shopping Items are sold vots toots. The site cannot be held responsible for faulty items Many auction sites have a star system and rating for sellers Buyers can check the prices of items on government websites. The use of credit cards is the safest method of payment because the user can be compensated. Shipping costs and conditions must be checked when buying on auction sites.

Online transaction services There are ecommerce businesses that allow payments to be made online. They are secured by encryption, usernames and passwords. Certification authorities are also used. There might be a padlock to indicate that https is in use.

Goods intercepted from online auction details Hackers may access buyer details then attempt to intercept the goods before they are delivered. Another problem is Deleting/ Amending/ Distributing of Personal Data. What are some of the reasons for this?

Booking Systems Offer immediate confirmation that the booking has been made. No double booking of seats E-tickets can be printed out Virtual tours can be provided Note that at times there is an extra fee for booking online.

Airlines Services offered include e-tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, special meal requests and frequent flier programme records. Services include: -Public to airline bookings -online access to travel agents -airline to airline bookings

Steps Involved Home page where different details like home and destination may be required Booking details -departure airport -destination airport -departure date -return date -departure time -arrival time -number and age of travellers -class of travel

Steps Involved contd Available flights are listed out and the user chooses one Costs, customer details and payment options are then displayed. Details for all travellers are entered separately and payment details entered Checking in can be done online and the boarding pass collected at the check in counter. It allows the customer to choose the seat they want.

Holiday booking systems Once the airline booking has been made the next step is to make a hotel reservation and pay for them using a credit/debit card.

Travel agents They make use of viewdata systems which allow them to access thousands of flights and hotels across the globe. Software can be purchased for this purpose which allows access to online databases.

Booking plane tickets and holidays -Travel agents book plane tickets on behalf of customers. It looks at both charter and sheduled flights and identifies the cheapest option. -Travel agencies also make bookings for complete holiday packages including car rentals, hotel accommodation and tours.

Rail Companies Travellers can now book online direct with rail companies. The customer can select a particular time for departure, input the number of travellers, credit card details are entered and the booking is made. This enables the railway company to make savings. Customised reports can also be produced. It is also secure

Cinemas Inputs include time, choosing a performance, number of tickets, debit/credit details. Reports are generated automatically and fewer staff are needed Tickets can be picked up at a kiosk at the cinema Customised will be required to input the credit card that they used for making the bookings

Theatres Works like the cinema booking systems. Seating plans may be provided to allow seat booking and refreshments may also be ordered online. addresses must be provided so that the confirmation can be send to you. The ticket will have a barcode linked to the customers credit card It takes two forms which are kiosk system operated by an employee or an online system

Appointment Booking Systems Log in using a username and password A calendar and available times are provided Other details maybe required such as details of condition These can be used in garages, garages, hair saloons etc

Advantages of Online Bookings for Companies Rental costs are reduced Fewer staff are employed Heating, lighting and electricity costs are reduced Companies can attract more people Business can be done 24/7

Advantages for customers No money is spend on transport People with disabilities find it easier to make bookings Customers can make a booking at any time of the day. Bookings are quicker No risk of double booking Feedback on success or failure of a booking is immediate Customers can easily look at different companies and make a booking

Disadvantages to businesses There is no personal touch so it is harder to sell other services Hackers can intercept transactions There are additional costs fot IT staff and IT equipment Initial costs are high There is a need to retrain staff

Disadvantages for customers Customers must have access to computers and the internet Hackers may intercept account information Phone bills may increasing when they are used for internet access Other people/family members may not be able to use the phone.

Computer Fraud Ways of reducing fraud: Usernames and passwords Firewalls Encryption HTTPs Certification authorities Anti-spyware software The above methods are used for reducing internet fraud.