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Returns

3 Ways to Protect Yourself When Ordering Online

I don’t know about you, but I buy almost everything online these days. It’s a rare occasion for me to go out to the store or mall to buy something.

Based on my past experiences of ordering online (some good, some bad), here are 3 simple ways to help protect yourself when ordering online:

  1. Check the cost of Shipping:
    Before you spend your time finding products on a particular website, find out how much they charge for shipping. I don’t know how many times I have spent an hour or so researching and adding products to my cart only to find out the shipping charges are too high for my budget.
  2. Check the Return Policy:
    Be sure to read the return policy before making a purchase. The first thing I check is the number of return days and the procedure for returning the item(s).You will also want to check to see if they offer free shipping on returns and if they refund the shipping charge you paid to get the item.If they have a brick and mortar store, see what their policy is about making returns to the store. It is usually cheaper to drive to the store to return it rather than pay the price to send it back. Read more here: Why you should always check the return policy
  3. Do a Google Search and/or Check with the BBB:
    If you are not familiar with the company or merchant, you can always do a Google search to find out if they have a good reputation. You can also check the BBB website to see if there have been any complaints filed against them.

Happy Shopping!

Why you Should Always Check the Return Policy

For some reason I have stopped checking return policies, I mean, aren’t they all pretty much the same (each gives you a specified number of days to return the item if you are not satisfied) — or so I thought.

I order so much online and last week while I was placing an order on a popular website (a website that I have ordered from in the past) – I discovered something very disturbing about their return policy, so I wanted to share this experience will all of you.

So, I just started using a new skincare line through a discovery kit I purchased. Since I liked the items so much, I decided to buy the full sizes. While placing my order, I started to get a little concerned because of the amount of money I was going to spend on the new products — and what if I didn’t like them once I got the full sizes. So something told me that before spending the money, that I should check the return policy — just to see how I would return the items if I needed to. Now, as I said, I have ordered from this website in the past, all items I already used, so I never even thought to check the return policy.

After reading the return policy, I was absolutely shocked — this particular website only takes returns if the item has not been opened (or used). I thought that I must not be reading the policy correctly, so I called the company to inquire — and sure enough I read it right.

Needless to say, I did not place an order. I know that if I order anything from that website, I will only order items that I already use and have no intention of returning.

If I had ordered those products and didn’t like them, I would have been out over $200 — too big of a risk for me.

From now on, I will always check the return policy before I place an order (even if I have already ordered from them in the past).