You can buy pretty much anything you want online these days, so why not? Gone are the times when giving over your credit card information would come with a sense of dread. Companies like Amazon and Alibaba have shown us that buying online has become so second nature that it has become a multi-billion dollar industry.
But what about health products like contact lenses? Well, you should certainly be warier of making a purchase but it is still quite easy to do as long as you take some precautions. So here are the five things to watch out for when buying contacts online:
1. Is the Website Secure?
It should always have an SSL certificate so that you can safely give over your credit card information. If the website address does not start with ‘https’ (it’s the ‘s’ that’s important), then that should set the warning bells ringing. It should also have an ‘about us’ page, a ‘contact us’ page, a ‘privacy page’ a ‘terms of service’ page, and an extensive FAQ page to put your mind at rest.
2. Can the Company Be Contacted?
How are you able to contact the company you’re ordering from? If there is a contact form and nothing else, send a message and see how long they take to reply. However, there should, at the very least, be a phone number that you can call during office hours. Ring it and see if anyone picks up. If they don’t, and your email is not responded to fairly quickly, look elsewhere.
3. What Stock Does the Website Have?
When buying contacts online, check out the stock that each online retailer holds. There should be a link on the website to a full list of the brands they have in stock and what type of contact lenses are available. If there are only a couple of brands on the list, it’s time to move on to something a little bit better.
4. What Forms of Payment Do They Accept?
Contact lenses aren’t hugely expensive anymore but they are certainly not cheap. Ordering a supply of a few months or more will certainly make a bit of a dent in your credit card balance. So, see if the website offers monthly payments. A solid online store, that’s not going to disappear overnight, should have no problems with this.
5. Does the Company Have Any Special Services?
What sort of incentives does the website have to make buying contact lenses easier? For example, some online contact lens retailers will pay for you to have an eye exam at a clinic and then will spread that cost over your monthly payments. While an eye exam does not have to cost a fortune, this extra service can certainly help when times are tough.
Wrapping It All Up
Buying contact lenses online is a great option and as long as you do your homework, it should be completely safe. If an online contact lens retailer has all of the above, you know that it has your interests at heart and is not just interested in making money from you.
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