It’s no secret that e-commerce is the wave of the future. Through a simple click of the mouse, millions of shoppers are saving a fortune by purchasing what they need online. The question is… is it better to buy a diamond engagement ring online, or stick to the traditional method of in-store shopping?
The answer to whether engagement ring shopping is better online or in-store is not absolute — it depends upon what you’re looking for and, more importantly, what you actually want. To help us out, the experts at JamesAllen.com, a premier online diamond retailer, broke it down to help determine what’s best for you:
Purchasing a diamond engagement ring online
• Online retailers have low overhead. You can find the ring you’re looking for and pay up to 50 percent less than what you would in-store.
• You don’t have to deal with self-interested salespeople.
• No traffic, no waiting in line and no bouncing from store to store.
• If dissatisfied with your purchase, you can return your ring for a full cash-back refund. Make sure any site you consider purchasing an engagement ring from offers such a guarantee.
Purchasing a diamond engagement ring in-store
• You can try on rings that you like and see how they look and feel.
• What you see is what you get. When purchasing an engagement ring at a jewelry store, you know exactly what you’re buying and for how much.
• Many jewelers have a solid reputation and you can feel confident buying from them.
• Purchasing an engagement ring is an important decision, and doing so over the internet may simply not feel right.
Know thyself
Now is the time to think about what it is you want. Once that becomes apparent, you will know which road is better to travel.
The question you should ask yourself is: What is most important to me when purchasing an engagement ring?
What do you want?
If you want an engagement ring from a specific jeweler that you like, you really don’t need to look elsewhere. Why spend your time looking for something you know you don’t want?
Online retailers don’t often provide the personal aspects of in-store shopping. Most offer valuable customer service, but it doesn’t replace the actual experience of dealing with someone face-to-face.
If you are the type of person who relies mainly on your gut when making decisions, we suggest purchasing an engagement ring in-store. You simply may need to wear the ring in order to feel it’s the right one.
Online retailers don’t have the same expensive overhead that stores do. You can find the same quality ring online that you would in-store, but for up to 50 percent less. That means your budget stretches big time when you buy online.
If you know what you’re looking for and you don’t want to be bothered dealing with traffic, lines and salespeople, consider online engagement ring shopping. Several sites let you design your own ring and offer guidance along the way if you find that you need it.
Decisions, decisions, decisions
A majority of consumers willingly pay more for the comfort of walking into a store and leaving with what they came for — many online retailers don’t offer that warmth.
Before taking a dive and committing to a diamond engagement ring, we suggest browsing online. There are many great websites that deal primarily with engagement rings. Most of them offer fantastic customer service, free resizing, cash back guarantees, grading certificates, free shipping and loads more perks. Sites like James Allen, Jared and Amazon are a sure thing.
If you don’t like what you see, or if you feel more comfortable purchasing your ring directly from a store, do it that way. Remember, it’s your engagement ring and you’ll be wearing it for a lifetime… so do what is best for you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
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