Tips for Buying Jewellery Online
Look for obvious warning signs: If the site looks amateurish or is not working well; if it is full of spelling mistakes; or the photos are not high quality you should think again! The website will reflect the quality of goods and service you are likely to get.
Understand the industry: The internet holds a wealth of information about jewels and jewellery – learn the language. Understand the meaning of the word ‘carat’; whether it is pearls or gemstones, search online for authoritive articles; learn to recognise values; learn about the different types of gold; and if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!
Only use very secure sites: Never give out your personal information – including credit card details – unless the website has genuine SSL encryption. NEVER give out your bank details online.
Know the supplier: If you don’t know the supplier, do some research. Search for reviews – chances are, if someone has been ripped off they will put it online somewhere.
Check for sizes: A good tip is to go to your local jewellery store and get the correct ring sizes for all digits on both hands. Write them down and use them when ordering locally on online! And remember that fingers can swell, so don’t make rings too tight.
What about returns: If you cannot find a returns policy that you are happy with, either don’t buy from that store or don’t try to return anything! The best tip is to make sure you read through the returns policy before you buy (a store credit in India, China, the Middle East or even USA may not be of much value).
Watch out for hidden fees: Often after you have been through the whole online shopping process you can find some unexpected fees added to the final total. CANCEL. If online stores hit you with hidden fees, they are likely to have poor service and probably won’t be concerned if they send you shoddy goods!
Back to Jewellery
Understand the industry: The internet holds a wealth of information about jewels and jewellery – learn the language. Understand the meaning of the word ‘carat’; whether it is pearls or gemstones, search online for authoritive articles; learn to recognise values; learn about the different types of gold; and if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!
Only use very secure sites: Never give out your personal information – including credit card details – unless the website has genuine SSL encryption. NEVER give out your bank details online.
Know the supplier: If you don’t know the supplier, do some research. Search for reviews – chances are, if someone has been ripped off they will put it online somewhere.
Check for sizes: A good tip is to go to your local jewellery store and get the correct ring sizes for all digits on both hands. Write them down and use them when ordering locally on online! And remember that fingers can swell, so don’t make rings too tight.
What about returns: If you cannot find a returns policy that you are happy with, either don’t buy from that store or don’t try to return anything! The best tip is to make sure you read through the returns policy before you buy (a store credit in India, China, the Middle East or even USA may not be of much value).
Watch out for hidden fees: Often after you have been through the whole online shopping process you can find some unexpected fees added to the final total. CANCEL. If online stores hit you with hidden fees, they are likely to have poor service and probably won’t be concerned if they send you shoddy goods!
Back to Jewellery