I’m a committed online shopper. I think it’s a great tool for buying books, computer hardware and software, CDs, etc.
It’s also great for researching property and vehicles.
I’ve had a couple of bad experiences, but no more than the average person shopping face to face in a retail store.
I bought a Palm handheld from E-Store a few years ago just before they went into receivership. Fortunately the purchase was made by credit card and I obtained a full refund.
Last Christmas I ordered some personalised jewellery in late November from a Melbourne store called Jules Jewellery (no longer online). They promised delivery before Christmas, but it didn’t arrive until early in January.
Most online purchases come with free delivery if they’re under 5kg and over $50. Smaller sales or larger items understandably attract a shipping charge.
From my point of view, living in a fairly remote location, the shipping charge is usually no more than the cost of petrol for driving to Albury/Wodonga or Wangaratta.
I nearly got stung yesterday though. I revisisted the Babies Galore web site, from where we bought a pram last year.
We need some bath seats and a safety gate, to block the stairs, for the twins.
The prices were good and after ordering the bath seats I noticed there was a $10 delivery charge. I added the plastic safety gate, which was on special, and proceeded to checkout.
It was there that I noticed the delivery fee had jumped from $10 to $55!
I’ve never seen a $55 delivery charge before, not even for the pram, bicycles, computer systems or foreign goods.
I cancelled the order and queried this with the store. They replied: “The prices of delivery on the internet are based on weight and distance. These are set prices.”
They offered cheaper shipping for a phone order, which seems ridiculous and contrary to the principles of online shopping.
Anyway, the message here is to check the fine print of your order and monitor the delivery costs carefully.
