With our busy schedules, the idea of being able to purchase a designer bag online at just the click of a mouse seems very appealing. But as HEALTH learns, there are some tips for making the most of your online shopping.

Precautions
When purchasing designer goods online, it is paramount to undertake the following precautions:

• Only shop and purchase from reputable sites or the actual designer’s official and authorized dealers to guarantee what you are purchasing is genuine.
• Be aware of the detailing used by a designer—look out for patterns that match the manufacturers’ known patterns. Having proper designer education, and savvy shopping skills will make buying designer goods on the internet a positive experience.
• Educate yourself on the sites that are real, authentic, and officially authorized when buying designer goods online.

The Website and Details

• Be aware of the website’s exchange and return policy.
• Don’t click on the “Add to cart” button if you can’t have a solid guarantee of returning goods to your satisfaction.
• Price is a red flag; a department store website may sell authentic designer handbags online at a discount, but not more than 50 percent or more. So if you find your favorite handbag online that claims to be authentic, yet priced very low, there is definitely something wrong.
• Sign up for online newsletters put forth by the particular website. This way you can even avail exclusive discounts and offers.
• Log on and search for other online shops so you can compare prices on different products available and in turn, get the best deals. Also, be sure to only transact business with trusted and legitimate online sellers.
• Only trust those with secure payment modes such as PayPal.
• Look at the “Contact Us” link to see where the company is located. Also, be sure to read the “About Us” page to see how long the company has been in business and if it has a physical address location and not a PO Box address.
• Be sure there is an Authenticity Guarantee or your money back clause mentioned somewhere on the website.
• When in doubt, send an email to initiate a contact from the sellers and see how well they respond to your questions. You should not be afraid to question authenticity of the products.