When it comes to shopping for tungsten rings or for wedding rings in general, shoppers have a wide variety of on-line retailers to choose from. In fact, there are so many on-line retailers to choose from, shoppers often feel overwhelmed and cannot tell the legitimate retailers from the untrustworthy retailers. Fortunately, there are some signs that shoppers can use to gauge the safety and security of a website.
First, let's talk about security. The last thing one would want is for there credit card information to fall into the wrong hands. If a website does not use a third party encryption service such as "Verisign", the preeminent software in e-commerce encryption services, then the buyer should beware. Verisign has become the leading encryption software to use for on-line transactions. All reputable retailers who take the security of their customer's personal information seriously use Verisign. There are many retailers who try to cut costs by using cheaper unknown data encryption software. Although all encryption software companies claim to do the same job, there are different levels of quality. It is a bit like cars. All cars do the same thing, which is get you from point A to point B, but obviously we all know certain cars are more reliable and secure than others. However, just because a website has the Verisign logo displayed on their site does not mean they are actually using their software. Many unscrupulous websites try to exude an image of trustworthiness by stealing Verisign's logo and displaying it on their site illegally. The quick and easy way to tell if a website is really using Verisign is to simply click on the Verisign logo displayed on their site. If it opens a new window taking you to Verisign's site where it displays the retailer's website address and location of the business, then that retailer is using genuine Verisign encryption software. If not, then leave that site immediately.
Second, just because a website is using encryption software does not mean you information is completely safe from hackers. A website should also be using software that deters hackers from hacking into the retailer's site to steal your personal information. The industry's best software for preventing hackers from gaining access to your personal information is "McAfee Secure". Check for the McAfee Secure logo on a retailer's website to make sure your personal information is safe from cyber criminals. Again, there are many shady retailers who simply copy the McAfee Secure logo and put it on their website. Unlike Verisign, you cannot click on the McAfee Secure logo to see if it is real. Instead, look for today's date on the logo. If a website is using McAfee Secure, it scans the website everyday for security holes and if it passes the security scan, the McAfee Secure logo will display today's date on the logo itself. A website that simply stole the logo and put it on their site will not have today's date.
Third, few websites are trustworthy and reliable enough to get an invitation to join the "Better Business Bureau" or BBB. They are an independent agency that rates businesses on ethical business practices and customer satisfaction. If they are part of the BBB's network of accredited businesses, they should have the BBB's logo on their site and you should be able to click on it, and it will take you to the BBB's site where you will see their rating. Of course, the letter grade of the business is important, but you should also pay attention to the number of complaints the business has had. At the BBB, two businesses can have the same letter grade, however; one business can be more reputable than the other. What consumers need to do is review the number of complaints filed against the business. Even if one company has had the complaint resolved it, it still means they did something to make a consumer upset enough to file a complaint. Therefore a business' rating and number of complaints should be taken into account, when deciding to purchase from which company.
Fourth, if a website is not rated by an independent third party, such as the BBB, or even if they are rated, you should type in the business's name in a search engine, such as Google and see if there are any negative customer experiences within the on-line community. Some consumers may find it too much of a headache to launch a formal complaint against a company to the BBB, so they just go on-line to websites such as http://www.ripoffreport.com, http://www.complaintsboard.com or just write in their own blogs about the negative experiences they have had with businesses. When you do a search, make sure you scroll all the way down and see all 10 search results on page 1. You should go to page 2 for the next 10 search results also, just to make sure there are really no complaints from other shoppers on-line.
Finally, something to look for that has nothing to do with third parties, is the business' actual policies on returns, exchanges or warranties. Reputable retailers of tungsten wedding bands should have a return and exchange policy that charges no fees. Many retailers know their products are not the best quality and quite a few customers will want to return or exchange their purchase. They deter this by charging fees for exchanging or returning rings. They even charge for something that is not the customer's fault, such as ring size exchanges. Customers are ordering rings on-line and cannot try them on first, so it would be logical that sometimes when a customer receives a ring it is too loose or too tight and would need to exchange it for a different size. This should be free of cost to the customer. Also, when it comes to tungsten wedding bands, there should be a free lifetime warranty because these rings are touted as the most durable rings on the market today. Retailers that carry rings of lesser quality know that they do because they charge fees to customers for exercising their lifetime warranties.
Hopefully, shoppers will be able to make a more informed decision when shopping for their wedding rings after reading this article. I hope the information provided in this article will lead couples shopping for a wedding ring to find a reputable on-line retailer of their choosing.
No comments:
Post a Comment