There’s an upside and a downside when it comes to shopping online. The upside is that you can shop at any time or the day or night from the comfort of your own home. With just a click of the mouse, you’ve got a virtual cart full of stuff you probably don’t even need. But what happens when something you ordered misses its mark on your expectation? Well, here are some common mistakes people make and how you can totally avoid them.What you see online might not be what you end up getting when UPS or FedEx knocks on your door, and it’s annoying, but tends to happen a lot more often than you think, especially when you fail to read the full description.
Reading the small print is vital in anything you buy because when you buy a dress it might be a tad too small or a size too large. It might not even be the right color, but then again, you didn’t read that little disclaimer that says “product may vary from image”.
If you thought that there was a chance that you could cosplay as Eleven from “Stranger Things” and you’re a dude that’s 6 ft tall and has a full on beard, then you were headed for disappointment anyway.
Most dresses come in different sizes and colors to meet the needs of their various clients, but if you buy something this tacky without looking at the measurements first, then you probably deserve what you get.
So check the return policy for the site you’re using before buying online, because some stores don’t offer a reasonable return policy if an article of clothing doesn’t fit or if a product failed to meet your expectations.
You might think you can look like Beyonce but you’ll wind up looking like a villain on “Power Rangers” because what you bought is often the mirror opposite of what was advertised, which is why you should buy only from reputable online retailers.
There are so many products out there and sites that are cheap, exploitative and misleading that you’ll be surprised that you didn’t find yourself disappointed sooner with an online purchase.
Read and re-read everything from the title of the item to the description and even the comments posted by other buyers. Chances are they had an issue that you can avoid if you just read what they wrote before purchasing.
Say for instance, you ordered this stuffed bear for your child or your girlfriend, but instead you get this sad shell of a bear. That’s when you can expect lots of tears and they won’t be from happiness either.
But most stores use stock images to illustrate a product that they’re selling, so if the description doesn’t have a disclaimer, send the store an e-mail and confirm that you’re getting exactly what you’re seeing online, or visit Area 51 and ask the government to give you your very own Roswell alien.
For example, you wouldn’t expect to buy Chanel or a Rolex watch at K-Mart, would you? Even if by some miracle they had it, you won’t get it for cheap, so if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The dress the model is wearing will never 100 percent fit you the way it does her. The make up on the model won’t look the way it does on the model either. Really, when you think about it shopping online is like gambling, you just don’t know what you’re going to get.
You can purchase that universal remote control or that Star Wars action figure online at a low price, but will it be the same quality you get from a reputable store you can walk into, probably not, unless we’re talking about a store like Best Buy or Walmart, and even then, there are no guarantees.
Ask your friends or family members, whether they’ve had a good experience with the online store you want to use or if they’ve never heard of it. If they haven’t, ask around for some recommendations. It’s like Uber, the better the rating, the better the chance of customer satisfaction.
The store might have used a photo of the legitimate product to sell their knock off product, so naturally you’re not going to look nearly as good in something like sunglasses as the guy in the photo.
If you’re stuck with something you paid for and can’t return, there’s always an alternative. You can take it to a tailor, have them take your measurements, and see if they can modify the article of clothing to tailor your frame.
Before you cry false advertisement, check and see if it’s entirely possible that the company shipped you the wrong item. It happens. People are busy. There are so many boxes going out with so many different products.
The fact is that just because we think something will look good on us, it doesn’t mean that it will. So ask your BFF or your parents or your significant other. Sometimes they can see something you don’t… like whether purchasing a particular product is the right idea.
When it comes to clothes, you should definitely stick to going to an actual store so you can try it on in front of the mirror and see if you like it. Not only do you get some exercise, but you save yourself some disappointment and the headache of having to return the item later.
You’re not always going to get a product that looks exactly as expected. You also need to keep in mind how much you paid for an item. A cosplay costume that cost $20 won’t look nearly as good as one that cost you $120.
So you suddenly remembered you planned a trip to the Bahamas, but you’ll need a swimsuit and the trip is like a week away. First off, rushing to buy something when you’re running out of time will lead to you not reading the description and dimensions correctly and maybe even picking a style you might regret later.
Avoid being so trigger happy with your mouse when you’re browsing on Amazon. You certainly don’t want to make an unrealistic purchase that you’ll be stuck with forever because there are some online shopping fails you can’t take back.
