|
It has been said that some
customers on the Internet will willingly look through a shopping
web site, but they are likely to back out of a sale once they
see the shipping and tax charges required for their merchandise.
This is a generalization, and it is not simple to prove.
However, it makes a statement about the relatively new,
unfamiliar nature of Internet commerce. If customers do not know
data such as shipping fees, fair pricing schemes, return
policies, and warranties, customers will put little faith in
online stores. Providing data to customers is the duty of a
retailer. On a similar note, being aware of scams and being
prompt is the duty of a customer. The terms of sale for any
online transaction should be made clear to maintain a balance
between a consumer and a store.
The first thing an online
merchant must do is to assure customers that specific
merchandise is available. A website that gains a reputation of
running out of items will lose its positive reputation. This may
be simple for a small business, but the more a retailer deals in
pre-orderable, obscure, or ephemeral merchandise, the larger
this problem may become. Merchants must not only take
precautions to ensure that merchandise is ordered and ready to
ship, but that the availability of a product is clearly listed,
and updated on a regular basis. Customers must take as many
precautions as a retailer in order to keep track of the
reliability of a store.
Shipping costs should be clearly
listed on a website. Details of the prices should not only
include how quantity affects shipping costs, but also how weight
and bulk contribute to shipping costs. Different shipping
options should also be described in both costs and benefits.
Websites that keep shipping costs hidden until the end of a
transaction may be wise to consider ways to reveal this
information to the consumer as early as possible. Likewise,
customers should be aware that high shipping costs are not
necessary a scam, but also aware that unusually low shipping
costs may have a negative tradeoff.
It is also not good to assume
that prices of merchandise on a website are fair. Some websites
may subvert normal pricing policies and set costs too high. Some
websites may undercut the competition. (This can be a scam, as
discussed in the article “Is information on websites truthful
and accurate?”) It is beneficial to find out if high-priced
items are of an unusual level of quality, or whether low-priced
items are bargains or pirated merchandise. To avoid pricing
scams, a person should research common costs of merchandise and
services.
All but the most ephemeral
merchandise should have a warranty, and all items sold should
have a guarantee that the products will be shipped intact and
ready for use. If a warranty can apply to a product, then a
retailer must make sure that the warranty is explained and
advertised. Furthermore, a retailer must guarantee that if a
customer pays for a product, that it will then be delivered in
good shape and in within a reasonable length of time. Online
retail companies have to overcome a number of obstacles in order
to ship a product in time, but except in unusual circumstances,
it should always be possible to deliver products to those who
order them.
In addition to a guarantee of
shipment, retailers must also provide the assurance that
merchandise can be returned and refunded. If a product is
cancelled, if it does not function as it is said to work, or if
it breaks by accident, a customer must be able to obtain a
return or a refund. As with the other examples, a retailer can
live or die by its return and refund policies. An unclear
statement or an unfair policy will anger customers.
At the final steps of a
transaction, a customer should know the details of what has
happened and what will happen. This is also a matter of give and
take. The retailer should provide a detailed list of the items
ordered and their costs, and the customer should be able to
examine the list and make changes. Before the final steps of a
transaction, a merchant must detail shipping costs, especially
if the shipping options were not mentioned earlier. Credit,
check, and money order options should be explained at this time,
as well as any applicable tax. The retailer needs to give its
contact information to the customer, just as the customer needs
to verify his or her address. In short, if anything seems absent
from the final step, the customer should delay the transaction
to clarify any confusion with the retailer.
Even after the sale has been
completed, some matters may still be unclear. If a customer
needs to double-check the terms of a sale, the retailer must
provide a way to do this through email or the retail website. As
stated above in regards to product changes and cancellations,
the retailer must take steps to assure that the customer
receives notice (and if applicable, compensation) of such
changes. The last thing that must be assured is the shipment of
a product. As long as a customer can be reached by mail, this
should not be a problem. Yet as stated above, errors in shipment
occur, and it is the customer’s duty to notify the company of
any problems.
To sum it up, the terms of sale
for any online transaction must be made clear to maintain
consumer confidence. The retailer must take each possible error
into account. Likewise, the customer must be aware of missing
information, scams, and his or her rights. Once the two sides
understand their needs, terms of sale will make sense. |
Check
the TrustGauge 
