Buying Engagement Rings Online - Advantages and Disadvantages

The practicality of buying engagement ring online isthree simple preconditions:
definitely in need of some clarification. There are1. Uncomplicated and generous return policy - 30 or
advantages and disadvantages in this particular sector,more days no questions asked money back
which once made clear will boost the confidence ofguarantee sounds just right.
the customer and provide the encouragement needed2. Door to door delivery with full insurance of the ring
to give it a try.covered by the merchant until the customer sign for it.
The first major advantage is that buying your3. Effective and up to date fund transfer safety and
engagement ring online will save you money. Probablysecurity system.
lots of it, depending on the size of your purchase. ThisAll of the above does not hold much water if the
is easy to figure out effect since the retail price heavilymerchant is not legitimate. There are ways however
depends on cost and the cost of running an onlineto check this too. Here is what to look for:
jewelry store is insignificant compare to the brick and- Clear contact details with link from every page with
mortar one. The advantage of heaving massivephysical address and telephone number where you
choice and unmatched opportunity to comparecan contact the merchant directly during office hours.
different merchant`s offers is also not to be- Check if the secure transaction sign (padlock) is
underestimated. Simple search for engagement ring willdisplayed on the bottom right of your browser while on
result in thousands of offers. To be competitive in thisthe merchant`s payment page.
environment the merchant must offer more than just a- Find out what others are saying about the quality of
good price. Too much of a choice however could bemerchandise and service of this site and don`t be
confusing and tends to dilute the ability of the customerafraid to ask for reference.
to objectively assess value and price. Often the- The existence of third party credentials with
"overchoice" results in the abandonment of the onlineauthentication link is quite reassuring.
idea and going back to a "physical" jeweler.The statistics show that online fraud on jewelry related
What makes the purchasing of jewelry and particularlypurchases is very low and accounts mostly of
engagement ring different than any other purchasepayments with fraudulent credit cards or reversed
online?credit card transactions. Fraud online however does
The engagement ring is a long term purchase,exist and one`s vigilance should not be found
probably for life and buying it on the base of virtualunreasonable by any prominent online jeweler. Just
information feels unsafe. The biggest worry of the firstphone, speak to the merchant and ask questions.
time online buyer is the presumed irreversibility of theSometime this is the best way to separate oranges
purchase, which paired with the inability to see, touchfrom pears. If they are not sure what they are talking
and try on the ring results in questions like: What if it isabout or sound irritable, forget about them no matter
not the same as on the picture? What if the size ishow irresistible the offer. Professional and reliable
incorrect or the craftsmanship bad? What if the ringjeweler knows his trade and takes his time to answer
gets lost on its way? What if she does not like it?customer`s questions in detail. Online engagement ring
These factors are major obstacles to the full utilizationshopping is relatively new, but its advantages far
of the advantages of online jewelry shopping.exceed its disadvantages and its dominance over the
Fortunately there are effective ways around them andconventional over the counter dealing is just a matter
prominent online merchants are gaining customer'sof time.
trust, understanding and business. It all boils down to