The author - herself a victim of identity theft - is extremely concerned with consumer protection. She offers advice on safety, security, and privacy when buying online, and warns readers about spam and hoaxes designed to prey on the unsuspecting. She assures readers from cyber-savvy teenagers who may take unnecessary risks to seniors (who are likely more cautious, but less cyber-savvy), that if they consistently abide by certain rules, they can buy online with confidence.

The co-author of Make Big Profits on eBay, Lynn also includes two chapters on the benefits and drawbacks of online auctions, a popular way to shop on the Internet. She says the most important thing to remember is that when you buy something from an auction site, the seller is not the auction site. The actual seller may be an individual with a garage filled with junk or a multi-million dollar company that uses the auction site to get rid of surplus supplies.

Online Shopper’s Survival Guide is written in a warm, friendly style where the author shares the advice of experts and her own personal stories about online purchases. Her survival tips include suggestions for researching, buying, and following-up on purchases, plus site locations on just about everything related to online shopping: auction sniping sites, search engines, dating and introduction services, data protection, government agencies, shopping and price comparisons, and many others. Additional information is packed into a helpful appendix that lists online shopping resources, a glossary, and an index.