A Guide To Choosing An Online Perfume Shop

There's no denying that shopping online is convenient. Web stores are open 24 hours a day so you can shop whenever you want – even at two in the morning when you suddenly wake up realising you've forgotten to get that important gift for someone. The Internet has come a long way in the last few years making it easy for just about anybody to open their own online shop which provides great choice for the consumer, but that's not without its risks.

You see, as easy as it is for legitimate businesses to thrive online, it's just as easy for the unscrupulous to take advantage of a trusting or inexperienced shopper. But don't worry, this guide will give you a few tips on how to spot a potential dubious online perfume shop.

First impressions do count

If you were walking down the high street and came across a shop which supposedly sells high quality goods but has tatty displays and adverts for second hand cars and flats to rent posted all over the windows, would you feel comfortable shopping there? The same applies when shopping online. Reputable web-savvy businesses know how important first impressions are for online shoppers and spend a lot of money creating websites which are both good looking and easy to use.

These days there's no excuse for having an unprofessional looking online presence. Nevertheless some businesses try to cut corners with their website and it usually shows. Despite this, shoppers may still be tempted to these shops by incredibly low prices, but price is not the only thing to consider when shopping online. Chances are, if a business is cutting corners with its website, it's usually cutting corners elsewhere – important things like product quality and customer service are the first to suffer.

Are you getting what you paid for?

Ok, so you've chosen a particular perfume shop because it looks professional or were you simply tempted by the incredibly low prices? If it's the latter then buyer beware. Now of course it's possible to pick up some incredible bargains on genuine goods online but sometimes, if it sounds too good to be true, it could well be.

The fact is that designer brand goods such as perfumes are easily counterfeited which is especially a problem when buying online as you will only find out they're fake once you try them for the first time, and by then you've already parted with your hard-earned cash.

And don't think that this is just me being alarmist. In October 2008, Birmingham Trading Standards confiscated over 40 000 bottles of suspected fake designer perfume from brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Versace. In addition to the perfumes, they also found "paraphernalia needed to produce counterfeit branded perfume on an industrial scale, including bottle labelling and wrapping equipment."

And it's not just the financial implications you have to consider, it's what could be in these fake perfumes that is equally concerning. Legitimate manufacturers spend a huge amount on testing their products before they're released. You can be pretty sure that counterfeiters have no such concerns.

So the bottom line is, always buy your perfume from reputable perfume shops and make sure they have a clear returns policy or money back guarantee because a) it's the law and b) it gives you greater peace of mind when shopping online. Unscrupulous shops are less likely to clearly offer returns if they know the goods are of questionable origin.

Are your personal and credit card details safe?

Security has always been a concern when shopping online but both banks and merchants have gone a long way towards improving online security. Nevertheless it's still important to be aware when shopping for perfumes or anything else online.

If a store accepts credit card details on their website, make sure that your browser connection is secured using SSL. You can check this by looking at the address of the page where you are requested to enter your card details – it should start with https:// instead of the usual http://. Depending on which browser you are using there may also be a small padlock in the address bar. If you don't see any of these indicators then don't enter your details.

You may also want to see if the website mentions anything about storing your credit card details. Large sites like Amazon do store users' credit card details but then they have the infrastructure to keeps those details secure. The same cannot be said about many online stores.

Some perfume shops will offer PayPal or Google Checkout as alternative ways to pay. This is good because a) you don't have to give your card details directly to the online store and b) both PayPal and Google are trusted payment providers who will be able to assist you in the event that anything does go wrong.

Something else that you need to consider is the security of other personal details you provide like address, telephone numbers and email addresses. Does the particular shop have a clear Privacy Policy explaining how your information is stored and used? The last thing you want is to have your email address sold to some unscrupulous email spammers trying to sell you things you just don't need.

What happens when things do go wrong?

I've already mentioned the importance of a clear returns policy but what about when other things go wrong. Even the best of companies can make mistakes. Sometimes the wrong product gets despatched or your order goes missing or is damaged in the post. What then?

Less trustworthy websites will have nothing more than an online contact form or an email address as the only means of contact. Not only is this against regulations but it doesn't help you, the concerned shopper.

Before buying anything online make sure the particular store clearly displays full contact details including a physical (not PO Box) address and telephone number. Check the site's customer service or help section to make sure all of your concerns are met before buying. Those extra few minutes spent browsing will be worth the effort.

If you're new to online shopping, hopefully I haven't scared you off. While it's important to keep your wits about you, shopping online can be fun as well as safe and secure. Just stick to a few basic rules and you won't go wrong

We hope you found this guide to finding an online perfume shop helpful - now enjoy some safe shopping.

PS - have a look at our Perfume Shop Guide for a list of top UK perfume shops.