How do you choose an online store/vendor/retailer?

[west3man]

I'm interested in purchasing an item that I'm unlikely to find anywhere but online. The best price (and even the worst ones) are from online stores I'm not familiar with.

In my case, it's a higher price tech item (hundreds of $USD), but either way, how do you decide if an unknown online seller (non-eBay) is trustworthy?

Thanks, in advance.

[Jonathan Bogart]

This probably isn't the best advice, but...

Price is the only deciding factor for me. I'll send money to anyone who'll sell me what I want for less than the other guy. Anyone who claims to have a secure server gets my credit card; anyone else gets a check.

And I've never been burned. Of course, I'm not an Internet high-roller either; I make maybe two or three purchases a month online. Actually, on the least-trustworthy-looking site I've ever been to, I gave them all my credit card information for a purchase, and ended up never being charged because they didn't have the item in stock. (At least I'm guessing that this is what happened; they never sent an e-mail either. Though I may possibly not have given them my address.)

The majority of my purchases are through Amazon.com, the retailers ("zShops") affiliated with them, eBay/Half.com, and the retailers listed on Abebooks.com. So I generally color inside the lines... but I don't feel like I have to, either.



Here's a rule of thumb I just thought of: any online retailer you can reach through Epinions is probably trustworthy.

[DrewTheXenocide]

I only do if it's recommended by someone I personally know and trust, who's had first hand experience with the site.

[Valmore]

I really haven't shopped at any online sites smaller than Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, eBay, etc. honestly. I'm a bit gunshy when it comes to buying from smaller outlets. Too afraid I'll get burned.

[west3man]

This probably isn't the best advice, but...

Price is the only deciding factor for me. I'll send money to anyone who'll sell me what I want for less than the other guy. Anyone who claims to have a secure server gets my credit card; anyone else gets a check.

And I've never been burned. Of course, I'm not an Internet high-roller either; I make maybe two or three purchases a month online. Actually, on the least-trustworthy-looking site I've ever been to, I gave them all my credit card information for a purchase, and ended up never being charged because they didn't have the item in stock. (At least I'm guessing that this is what happened; they never sent an e-mail either. Though I may possibly not have given them my address.)

The majority of my purchases are through Amazon.com, the retailers ("zShops") affiliated with them, eBay/Half.com, and the retailers listed on Abebooks.com. So I generally color inside the lines... but I don't feel like I have to, either.



Here's a rule of thumb I just thought of: any online retailer you can reach through Epinions is probably trustworthy. I should've mentioned this but, I checked them out on epinions.com, already. Not a mention.

[The Dosadi Experiment]

for me it's the price that is the defining factor in making a choice.

[west3man]

Oh yeah, it seems they DO have an eBay account. Feedback of only 5, even though they've got an online store independent of eBay.

So, maybe they're new to the eBay, but not new to the business... or maybe they're new to both. If the eBay feedback had been high, I'd have had a heckuva lot more confidence.

I dunno.

[meegs654]

I asked a few people and like West said price is a big factor when it comes to ordering online. I usually do 2-3 small orders with a company and if it works out well then put in a large order.

[west3man]

I asked a few people and like West said price is a big factor when it comes to ordering online. I usually do 2-3 small orders with a company and if it works out well then put in a large order.
Hmm... I might go that route if they had lower-priced stuff I wanted.

Dangit. This is a toughie for real.