It seems like i never go a week without chatting with someone who asks, "So how much do you sell your rings for?"
I reply, "Oh, a tungsten carbide wedding band like yours is $99 on our website. How much did you pay?"
Usually
they don't even want to say, but it's almost always about $300 to $400.
They've been duped by the jeweler in the mall or on the corner of Main
Street. So how do you avoid getting ripped off when shopping in an
industry that has one of the highest markups on the planet Earth? We
suggest the following guidelines.
#1 - If a deal is too good to
be true, it's too good to be true. I can't believe people are thinking
they found the deal of the century when they buy a "genuine" Rolex
online for $68 only to be floored when they take it into a real Rolex
shop to find out it's not the same as the $8500 one behind the glass.
Come on people!
#2 - Check out the Better Business Bureau at
www.bbb.org to check the validity of the company. Even if a company is
not accredited it will still show if they have had any complaints in
the last year. I NEVER buy anything online anymore without checking the
BBB first. If a company doesn't list themselves on there, don't you
think it might be for a reason?
#3 - Testimonials saying, "I was
so satisfied with the customer service of company x because they took
care of me and the product was wonderful and I want them to marry my
first born daughter and blah, Blah, BLAH," are a load of bunk. People
just don't write this type of think very often and if they do it's
probably because they were asked to. How are you ever going to verify
that Lisa from Westchestertonfieldville, Iowa really wrote that anyway?
#4
- Click on their security certificate. Simple Simon. Is it from a
company you recognize or can verify on Google? When you're entering
your credit card information does it say https:// instead of http://?
(The "s" stands for secure).
#5 - Call the phone number listed.
If there is no phone number or someone answers speaking Swahili, good
luck. You've been warned.
#6 - Try out there customer response
email. Is their email address joecoxhulahips@gmail.com or is it
service@weddingringsforever.com?
#7 - Don't buy from the first
place you see unless you're happy paying a higher price knowing it's
EXACTLY what you want. What ever happened to comparison shopping? I
always feel sorry for those couples I see drive away with a new car
from the first lot they stopped at.
#8 - Internet sales are
usually just a marketing ploy. What you find is a good deal today will
still be a good deal tomorrow. Don't be afraid to sleep on it. Sales
never end, they just change shape and form.
#9 - MSRP is a scam.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price is usually founded upon a survey,
not what people are actually willing to pay. Anyone can go around and
eventually find some crack head willing to pay $295 for a pair of
sneakers that just cost $2 to import from China. At Wedding Rings Forever
we only use list price comparisons, and they're actually based upon
other prices we find our competitors selling the same products for. You
may look at the list prices and say, "That's ridiculous..." because it
is beyond me how people can charge so much for what I know doesn't cost
so much. You usually end up paying for their commercials, advertising,
commercial building lease, and other overhead that we've been able to
avoid.
#10 - Number 10 could be a whole other slew of reasons
but I will just sum is up with BE SMART. If you have to enter your
Social Security Number to buy a blouse, is that smart? If you agree to
help the Prince of Nigeria wire 8 billion dollars to his bank in Omaha
to help his dying sister, is that smart? If someone contacts you asking
for all your personal information rather than you seeking that product
out, is that smart? I would expect more from the savvy internet
generation we live in.
Well internet shoppers, good luck and happy hunting! Remember the most important thing is who's wearing the ring, not the ring itself.
|
|
