A wedding is the most important occasion in a couple’s lifetime. It always involves emotions – both from the soon-to-weds and their families or friends. Shopping for wedding needs requires utmost planning. Much more care is required when wedding shopping is done online. There is a huge difference when everything needed for the big day is seen, tried, and decided in actual shops compared to when it is just done virtually online.
Millions of online shoppers go through varied challenges, just as it brings comfort and convenience right at the buyer’s fingertips. To avoid hassle and unwanted disappointments, here are a few tips to stay safe online while planning a wedding shopping:
Website Familiarity
Frequent online shoppers are normally adept at the runarounds of an online shopping platform. When a buyer opts to shop for anything the wedding planning requires via the internet, it is best to go to the one that has been patronized or shopped several times before. This way, there is a very low risk of shopping in error. Icons and buttons in the online shop must be something a shopper had toggled and used back then.
Shopping on unknown websites is highly discouraged. Funds may be planned so placing the order online must be close to perfection, if not perfect at all. A checklist can help so it gets ticked once ordered. It can be tracked from the point of sale down to transit up until it arrives at a time before the scheduled wedding day. You can get more ideas here.
Seller Review
Shopping online may have gone famous, but shoppers are still expected to be vigilant. Hoax sellers and scammers also have upgraded their trade, so avoid the bad luck of not getting the right items required for the planned union, check what everyone has to say about the shop, the seller, and the items received.
The package ordered will go through different handling patterns and at any given time, the chance of receiving damage, broken, or spoiled items. Being careful when dealing with delivery is supposed to be a priority among sellers but no one can ever tell how in the world it moves around during shipping. It is still best to look for 5-star reviews or very good aftersales reports from whatever the wedding planner buys from the online store.
Private Connectivity
Shopping in public is a no-no. Credit card information and other personal financial details will be required when paying for online orders. You can never be careful as hackers are just around waiting for the next victim to take the bait. Use strong passwords and use only a private wi-fi or internet connection as shared ones may leak your important information.
The idea is to save shoppers from unnecessary spending but if the shopper is not cautious, your wedding budget can be jeopardized when this happens. In fact, shopping at home is even better compared to doing it at public hotspots. Even Virtual Private Networks cannot be fully trusted. Although when you badly need to continue shopping online, just see to it you are through a trusted network.
Online Receipts
Before checking out of the online shop, statements or receipts are issued by the platform. This is your chance to regularly check every detail of your order – quantity, price, and shipping fee if there’s any. Before clicking that Place Order button, reviewing everything gives the shopper the chance to change color or size, add or remove items, and even apply coupons and discount codes.
Since done online, a buyer can keep a screenshot, although there will surely be a transaction history to look back into after a while. There are cases of online payment not going through or sellers denying payments, so it is still best to keep a hold of something as proof.
Aftersales Conditions
There are too many merchants online claiming to have a better customer service experience but most of the time, these promises are too good to be true. A successful online shopping can only be confirmed once the items have arrived, all without issues, colors and quantities correct, and most of all, it comes on time, not too early not too late for the wedding.
Sellers are supposed to stand by aftersales terms and conditions. In cases of refund or replacement, which is always a possibility, especially if orders come in bulk and too many. There are online store owners who do not honor feedback. Their business may not thrive, but it is still important that couples anticipating a special ceremony between lovers will not experience any of it, at all.
Planning a wedding shopping can start from a simple list and after a certain period, the materials in the list will be in full use. This can range from the wedding gown to groom’s suite, to bridesmaids’ dresses, down to souvenirs, flowers, and wedding rings.