Caveat Emptor – Shopping For Designer Goods Online

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When shopping for designer goods online, you have to keep the Latin phrase "caveat emptor" foremost in your mind. If you have yet to remember the phrase from your law classes, it is translated as "let the buyer beware". To make this principle of classical contract law simple, you as the buyer shoulders the burden of risk involved in any business transaction.

As such, you have to undertake measures to protect yourself when shopping for merchandise online. You also have to take note that extra precautions are necessary in this instance because most online transactions are connected with complete strangers which you will never see personally, who can assume multiple identities in various websites, and who can violate intellectual property rights at will and most cleverly at that.

That being said, when shopping for designer products online, you have to keep these tips in mind.

Only With Reputable Sites As much as you shop in the designers' brick-and-mortar stores or their authorized dealers for the assurance of genuine products, you have to take the same precaution when shopping for designer goods online. You can access many resources to determine the authenticity of the sites' offerings – word of mouth is a reliable determinant provided that you get it as first-hand information, consumer watch groups' updates, and government agencies' regulations on intellectual property rights and comparisons with the designer website itself.

In short, you have to educate yourself on the sites that are the real McCoy when shopping for designer goods online. Remember, buyer beware is in effect over the Internet!

Learn to Spot the Fake What if you have doubts about the website and yet you saw designer goods you like? Well, you should learn to spot the fake! Admittedly, when shopping for designer goods online you do not have the benefit of actually touching the goods but with sharp eyes and memory, you can purchase genuine designer goods in sites other than the designer website itself.

First, when shopping for designer goods online, beware of price manipulation. It can go both ways – very low price to attract customers out for a bargain and very high price to add legitimacy to supposedly genuine designer products. For example, the LV Keepall 60 costs $ 1,035 on the LV site; if it is selling for $ 100 or $ 1,500 on another site, you better beware because it is probably a fake.

Second, you have to compare pictures when shopping for designer goods online. You have to examine the details of the genuine article and compare with the picture on the site. Use the zoom feature, the product description and your sharp eyes for the purpose. Look for patterns that match the manufacturers' known patterns – Bottega's woven leather, Coach's symmetrical lines, and Chanel's quilted stitching, to name a few. Again, you have to educate yourself when shopping for designer goods online!

Third, you have to read the fine print. Your choice of shopping for designer goods online poses you to the dangers of overkill in the product descriptions. When shopping for designer goods online, beware of words like "authentic", "genuine", "best value", "bargain price" and other marketing words mean to seduce you to part with your money. If it says "inspired by designer X", you know you are dealing with a replica.

Fourth, you should not be taken with the allure of extras like tissue-lined boxes, identity cards and storage bags with the distinctive manufacturer logo when shopping for designer goods online. You have to exam if these extras also match those of the manufacturer. If the seller specifies that it comes in its original box, ask for pictures. If these can not be provided, run for the hills with your credit card!

Exchange and Return Policy When shopping for designer goods online, the first thing to look for is the website's exchange and return policy. If you do not have the guarantee of returning goods not to your satisfaction, then do not click on the "Add to cart" button lest you add to your cache of damaged replicas.

In conclusion, shopping for designer goods online is a risky business what with the proliferation of Internet scams. However, with caveat emptor foremost in your mind, vigilant eyes, proper designer education, and savvy shopping skills, shopping for designer goods online is an addicting and exciting experience for all shopaholics!