Sunday, March 15, 2009

How to Securely Buy Jewelry Online

Buying jewelry online has become so much more secure than it was years ago, when e-businesses first opened up online. There are courses offered in colleges to teach programmers how to come up with new security programs. I buy jewelry online at many different places. There are ways to protect yourself, and things you can look for from a merchant to keep yourself safe. I always look for certificates of trust and security like the one put on a website by VeriSign.
The online retailers are doing a great job with keeping their websites secure. I have not had any problem with my private information getting out. I like to purchase things online, because I can stay at home and do it in my pajamas if I want to. I can also look around and do a little research about my purchases to see who offers the best prices and information about the seller. I am not one that likes the malls, they are way too crowded. I prefer to stay at home and shop and have the item shipped to me.
I save money by purchasing jewelry online due to the lower overhead of the online storefront. The brick and mortar jewelry stores have utility costs, building rental cost, and have more employees to pay. The savings of the online retailer is passed on to me as a buyer. I also communicate with the seller by e-mail to ask specific questions about the jewelry that I want to buy. There are those out there that will try to take advantage of people who are not knowledgeable about online business practices. That is why you should know what you are doing and what to look for when buying online.
I made sure to look into online buying when I first started. I did not know the first thing about it, and was reluctant to give my credit card number to a business. Once I knew how to look for secure sites, I have been buying online ever since. I find that most jewelry sites seem to have good security. I think it is because of the nature of their business.
VeriSign, and other security certificates are shown on safe websites, and you will know when you are entering a secure site. You can feel comfortable that the diamond bracelet that you ordered will get to you safely, and that your payment will be secure. If you do not see any type of security certificate on a website you want to purchase from, I would not give them any information just to be on the safe side.
I use PayPal and it has allowed me to purchase online from many jewelry retailers. Some are not set up to accept secure payments through their own business for their merchandise, so they
use PayPal. I trust PayPal and they offer buyer protection for some purchases. E-bay users have used PayPal for years, and now retailers are also starting to use them more often. PayPal is a secure site for your information to be stored for purchases.
If there is a PayPal sign on a website you can feel secure in paying them. If they have their own payment system there will be certificates like VeriSign and other trusted certificates. Jewelry is often a major purchase, and you want to be sure that you receive the product that you expected. Most jewelers will offer a money back guarantee; it is usually good for 30 days. This allows you to get the product at home and make sure it is what you expected. This is something that you should look for on a jeweler web site before you make a purchase. I always make sure that they have a return policy though I have seldom had to use it. Most people are honest with you, because they want your repeat business.
Honest jewelers will offer to take back or exchange something that is not the correct size in a ring or color you expected in a stone. Whether it be a diamond, tanzanite, amethyst, or a garnet you want to be assured that it is as described. Often you can get appraisal certificates of major jewelry purchases that are made for your specific item. This is given out most often by a GIA certified appraiser. This is your defense against a crooked seller. I ask for these on larger purchases of rare stones or large karat weights of stones. It is a smart practice.
There are many good jewelry stores online. Type in the name of a stone or a piece of jewelry that you want into a search engine and you will find many places to check out. I shop on E-bay, Bidz .com, and I have a retailer that I like to purchase from called the Jewelry Nest. I collect Invicta watches and rare stones and all types of jewelry. I have found that they are very fair in pricing at the Jewelry Nest, and I have never had to return anything. I feel very secure in dealing with them. With E-bay I have had to make a few returns. Bidz.com gets you on their high shipping costs, but if you are looking for a few pieces of jewelry at a fairly low price they are a good place to look, the quality at Bidz.com is sometimes not as expected. I look for testimonials on the retailer sites from their customers. This can be helpful to you in deciding whether to trust where you are buying from.
There are a few bad apples that can give all of the good sellers a bad name. Once you have bought from a jeweler, your trust will grow, I know mine did with the Jewelry Nest and E-bay.
Transparency is a key element to look for when purchasing jewelry online. The jewelry merchant needs to ensure the quality of their items just like you need to ensure your payment. Check for any business complaints by doing a web search about that business. Look for the trusted signs on the website. You need to be proactive as well when purchasing online. I took this approach, and I have done pretty well so far.

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