More and more consumers are buying product online on the
internet as they begin to feel more comfortable about the security of
their money transactions and their identity details. This is the case
particularly with inexpensive and commonly used everyday products - but
what about more expensive and personal items like jewellery? Are
consumers inclined to buy jewellery from online jewellery stores?
Buying
jewellery online could be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying
experiences you will ever have on the internet, and it is safe and
secure, and here is why.
Many people are now accepting that buying
products (or services) online is not as fraught with danger as it once
was, or was perceived to be. There has been a lot of money spent in
developing and promoting safe and secure online store transaction
processes and such companies are continually working and marketing hard
to reassure consumers that they are not about to get ripped off.
Most
of us have made our first online purchase by buying something
inexpensive and something that if it was not exactly what we expected it
would not be the end of the world, we would swarovski
not self destruct for having made a bad decision. Things like a
tablecloth, a calculator, a pair of sunglasses, an electric can opener
and so on. Lo and behold the item arrived in one piece and it is pretty
much what you expected - your credit card statement is correct and now
you feel OK about having made your first online purchase, it was a good
experience.
You now feel more confident and you venture into doing
some more frequent shopping online, possibly with stores / sites that
you know, know of and therefore trust. You gain experience as an online
shopper, you try a few different sites, you do some pricing and delivery
comparisons. You get to trust certain online transaction methods
(PayPal as an example) and you now recognize the necessity of and
meaning of an SSL site (Secure Server Licenced) which gives consumers a
form of security assurance. You are now far less apprehensive about
shopping on the internet - or are you?
To date you have been buying inexpensive everyday use items, no real monetary risk right?
So now are you ready to buy more expensive items - will you buy a Television, a Ride-on Mower, a Computer, jewelry swarovski
a Bedroom Suite or the likes online? Bigger dollars, more risk -
however these are not generally the most critical aspects preventing
people from buying big ticket items on the internet - it is more often
the case that they want to touch, feel and sniff such items before
making a choice. The smart buyers will do this at a store or two, make
their choice of product, brand, model, design etc then shop online for
the best deal in the knowledge that they are satisfied with their
choice, it is now a matter of price and delivery. About 10% of consumers
currently do this however this number is expected to grow in time as
confidence in the online transaction systems grows and consumer
acceptance grows exponentially with it.
So now we come to
Jewellery. Jewellery can be expensive and is undoubtedly a very personal
item, two good reasons to shy away from buying such an item online.
However the greater volume of jewellery purchased is costume jewellery,
jewellery not using precious gems like diamonds, rubies, sapphires,
opals etc, so the cost is significantly less and the choices are far
greater.
This makes selection harder however wholesale crystal beads
when a woman sees a piece of jewellery that stands out and jumps up
saying "this is really you" then often case the buying becomes an
impulse buy and out comes the credit card, willingly. So this same
impulse buy can and does happen online in the same way it does in a
jewellery store or department store. Should the credit card come out
willingly? - are online jewellery stores as safe and secure as the
stores / sites that you purchased that electric can opener from, or that
lovely tablecloth?
Online Jewellery Stores are just as safe and
secure as any other online retail store as long as they meet the same
criteria - the essential SSL certified mark and a safe and secure
transaction system - the two things that you look for on other online
shopping sites. The difference is that you are purchasing something
personal, something you will wear, something that reflects your persona,
so you will likely ponder longer, not about the decision of is it safe
to buy this online but more so the decision of choice - do I really like
it, do I really want it.
Such a decision is something only you can make - just like you may be faced with swarovski bracelet when looking at a nice jewellery piece in a catalogue, no different really.
If
you were buying an expensive diamond or other precious gem then there
are other very important processes to go through before you would dare
risk large sums of money on an online transaction. There have been all
sorts of bad press about precious stones rip offs through online trading
and the various legitimate jewellers associations around the world are
working hard to clean up the industry and restore confidence to
consumers, however this bad press should not be a reflection on costume
jewellery.
Most if not all of the major jewellery companies and
jewellery chain stores have an online presence and their online
jewellery stores are well respected and certainly safe and secure. The
same can be said of the majority of smaller jewellery businesses and
even those which offer handmade or hand crafted jewellery.
Buying
jewellery online can be an excellent experience for a number of reasons -
the choices are endless, far greater than you will find walking a
shopping mall or jewellery alley in any city. The whole world is putting
their jewellery on display online. You have a significantly greater
chance of finding that something special just for you, that jewellery
piece that jumps up off the screen and has you saying "yessss, that is
what I want". With the millions of pieces of jewellery available online
what are the chances of one of your friends finding and buying the same
thing? This is particularly the case when looking at the non chain store
jewellery shops, finding the online jewellery stores that offer unique
one off handmade pieces at affordable prices - and that piece may come
from any part of the globe, not from the local jewellery store - you
could be wearing a lovely piece of jewellery handmade in the far off
regions of the Russian Steppes or from a small village in Portugal -
anywhere - and that adds even more charm and personal value to that
piece of jewellery.
So yes it is safe to buy your jewellery online
from just about any online jewellery store - just check the two must
have site criteria mentioned earlier.
Buying jewellery online could be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying experiences you will ever have on the internet.