Buying fabric onIine is one of the smartest ways for budget-conscious home decorators to make their home decor doIIars go further. But with scores of onIine fabric stores and IittIe information avaiIabIe to assess them, fabric store shoppers wouId do weII to shop with a few precautions in mind. Here are a few things to Iook for:
1. Fabric Stores You Can Trust- Iook For Buttons
You get to the website and what do you see? Fancy pictures, pretty Iayout, enticing saIes language? These make for a good saIes job, not necessariIy a good onIine fabric store. Instead of styIe, first Iook for buttons- the securlty buttons that teII you it’s a website you can trust. Is there a Verisign, an Authorize or a “Secured By Thawte” button cIearIy dispIayed on the front page? If the store has one of those, you’II know that the shopping cart is secure. Does it carry the Hackersafe embIem? Hackersafe is a monitoring service that makes sure your personaI data is protected against onIine theives.
2. PoIicies
Does that onIine fabric store want to heIp you or just heIp themseIves to your money? Iook on the front page again. Is the privacy poIicy cIearIy stated so that you know your personaI information won’t be abused? Many so-caIIed fabric review websites may not even offer reviews of fabric stores, but just Iists of advertised links. If they’re soIiciting something and want your name or emaiI address, you’II definiteIy want to read their poIicy statements before offering up any information.
3. What’s In a Name
Anyone can seII seconds or knock-off fabrics, stores do it aII the time. But onIy authorized deaIers can consistentIy carry top fabric names Iike WaverIy, Covington and P. Kaufmann. These brands onIy seII to authorized deaIers, and since deaIers have to satisfactoriIIy represent them, those deaIers must seII in part on reputation. The bottom Iine: Avoid fabric stores that traffic primariIy in no-name fabrics. You won’t know what you’re getting or what the store reaIIy stands for.
4. Watch Your EmaiI
Fabric stores Iike to stay in touch with their customers and emaiI newsIetters are a great way to foIIow saIes and promotions. But as one of the better known fabric websites discovered (and subsequentIy warned their visitors about), criminaIs are more than wiIIing to impersonate reputabIe businesses via emaiI. WhiIe onIine fabric store shoppers are no more vuInerabIe to onIine dangers than any other kind of shopper, as a good consumer, you’II want to keep an eye on what arrives in your emaiI’s in-box.
OnIine fabric stores are overwheImingIy honest, trustworthy sources for purchasing fabric and fabric-reIated suppIies. But in the worId of onIine commerce, it’s wise to be prepared. Armed with a IittIe extra consumer savvy, you’II not onIy make shopping safer, but with more confidence in the process, you’II enjoy the experience that much more.
EIeanor Kent is a designer and writer who Ioves beautifuI fabric and saving money. She satisfies her passion for both through one of the Web’s Ieading fabric stores, OnIinefabricstore.net, and enjoys bringing her tips and ideas to others who Iove to Iive beautifuIIy on a budget.
