Online Xmas Shopping Can Make Sense

Customer Service Is Improving, But Ask Some Questions First

By Jennifer Openshaw of WFN Women's Financial Network

If you're like most people, you're heading into the holidays with lots to buy and perhaps not so much to spend. You also don't have a whole lot of time to head to the malls -- or the patience to deal with the crowds.

We're now facing a revolution in how we shop and where we shop. The brick-and-mortar of the shopping malls is giving way to the let-me-shop-in-my robe option of the Internet (something I prefer)!

IBS illustration by Melissa Warp This season, you have lots of options and better online customer service. You can go to stores like Macy's (www.macys.com) and and Target www.target.com) or you can go to specialty stores like The Right Start for kids' stuff or Garden.com. And if you just don't know what to get your friend or relative, consider giftcertificates.com.

Julie Schoenfeld, CEO of the online customer service software company Net Effect, which was just purchased by the search engine Ask Jeeves, contends that shoppers will have much better customer service this holiday season and beyond.

If you're worried about being able to ask questions about a particular product, that is changing. Schoenfeld says real-time communication, now offered at sites like The Right Start, mean you can ask questions and get immediate answers. "The company can send you the Consumer Report on the item right then and there," she says. "That's a lot better service than in the store."

If you plan on taking advantage of online buying this holiday season, here are some key questions to ask:

What is the company's delivery policy? Do they guarantee on-time delivery?
What is their return policy?
Do they offer the same standard warranties and service policies as stores?
Is your purchase information kept confidential?

Remember, shopping this holiday season will be better than ever before. But be sure to ask the right questions -- or at least look for the answers!

Additional Resources:

The Better Business Bureau has an online division for promoting fair business and consumer confidence on the Internet.
View a list of businesses that have joined the BBB's Reliability seal program.
To obtain a report on a particular company, contact the Better Business Bureau office where that company is based. If you know the mailing address of the company, call the Council of Better Business Bureaus at (703) 276-0100.
File an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau.