Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Buying Children's Clothing Online: Internet Shopping Tips

By Katie Wilber

Many people forgo the amazing time and money saving convenience of online shopping because of the risks. Shopping online for clothing for your children can be particularly tricky. Online shoppers aren't able to touch the materials, ask the sales person questions and there is always some residual fear about the security of online shopping.

Because there are many questions and risks to online shopping let's explore how to make your next online shopping experience for children's clothing a great experience.

Verify The Reputation Of The Store First!

Before you even start looking, make sure the site youre at is safe. This means a secure transaction, you can tell by looking at the URL if it is HTTPS then the site is secure.

Also look for feedback about the store online. There are many review sites and if the site youre shopping at has received many complaints, chances are youll find them online. You can do a quick search by typing in the name of the store and the word reviews, Store Name + Reviews into your search engine of choice.

Online resources like The Better Business Bureau, are good references to make sure a business is well established and takes care of their customers.

What brands does the store carry? Are they brands with a reputation for quality? Are they brands or designers you're familiar with? If not, do a quick bit of research to find out the reliability of the designers and brands the store carried.

Read The Product Descriptions Closely

What are the items made out of? The best online retailers provide very detailed descriptions about their products.

A picture, or pictures, of the clothing item is imperative. Children can be finicky and the wrong shade of green can mean the difference between a favorite sweater and one that gets stuffed under the bed.

Read Store Policies

What are the shipping policies? Some sites advertise free shipping however thats often limited by restrictions. You have to spend a certain amount, order during specific time period or use a store credit card.

Can you return the item if it doesn't fit or doesn't meet your needs or expectations. Check out the return policies and make sure you keep all documentation in the event that you do need to return an item. Know Your Child's Measurements

Know Your Childs Measurements

It's not so much fun to buy clothing you're sure is your child's size only to find that the size runs big or worse, small. Have their measurements at the ready so you can use size charts and make sure you're getting something that fits your child.

Share the wealth. Tell others about your online shopping experiences. If you have a bad experience by all means post a review however don't forget to post a good review when you have a good experience. Good reviews help as much as the bad ones and they ensure the stores you love stay in business.

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