The World Wide Web opened up so many opportunities for retailers to actually expand their position in the marketplace. In fact, some retailers only have "storefronts" on the internet. This means that the retailer is not spending money on overhead, wage for additional employees or even rent expenses. These World Wide Web retailers often will pass those costs savings on to their internet customers. Therefore, you can often find great prices for items you want on the internet.

For those of you who enjoy buying and wearing perfume, but hate fighting for position at the fragrance counters at department stores, buying your fragrance online makes sense. There is no more battling traffic to drive to the store or racing other cars trying to get a parking place. You don't have to deal with ill-mannered people or apathetic salespeople either. All the customer service you need is at your fingertips, thanks to your computer keyboard and the internet.

Of course, with the convenience of shopping online anytime day or night, there are some things to deliberate before embarking on your quest to buy a fragrance on the internet. First of all, when you shop online, there are drawbacks. You cannot hold or inspect the item in person. Many people don't feel comfortable not having that level of control in their purchase. When you are surf through online stores to look for a fragrance, keep in mind that you will only be able to see what the product is packaged in and read an abbreviated description of the scent. If you have no idea what you are going to buy, purchasing a fragrance online is not our best option.

There is one way around this dilemma. Go to the department store's fragrance counter. Yep, you have to negotiate traffic and parking lots to test some fragrances. Make your one-time trip to the department store and test assorted fragrances. Narrow down to your favorite choices and ask to take a few perfume samples home. For a few days, try the different scents and choose your favorite that you want to purchase. Once you have made a decision, then you can make an order online for your fragrance.

Once you do have a specific fragrance you are looking for, it is time to find the best perfume website to purchase your scent. This is probably the hardest part of the process. Why, you may ask? The rationality is that practically anyone with an understanding of the internet can throw a website together and claim they are an online store. It is up to you to verify that the web retailer is legitimate, especially since you will in all likelihood have to part with a credit card number to pay for the purchase.

So how do you know a web retailer is legitimate? There are several ways to identify that information. First, ask your friends and co-workers if they have ever purchased fragrances online and what their experiences were. Another way is to look on the ordering page of the web retailer's website and look for the Better Business Bureau logo. This nonprofit organization that safeguards consumers against bogus companies also has some governing power on the internet. When businesses are members of the Better Business Bureau, they have to go through financial inspections and provide assorted accounting information. Of course, not all legitimate World Wide Web retailers are members of the Better Business Bureau. However, you can still you the Better Business Bureau as a resource. Check up on the company you are interested in purchasing from and see if there have been any negative reports on them. Another way is to see if this store is powered by a large respectable company like Amazon.com. Many web site owners become partners with these companies and are able to run their website using their inventory. This works great for everybody because the customer feels safe buying from a respected company, the retailer gets the inventory from the large company and the large company gets more sales.

Cash on Delivery (COD) is a uncommon choice these days, but smaller web retailers who have yet to establish a real internet presence may offer this choice to you. With COD, you are not out any money until you receive the product via the mail or parcel delivery service. This choice may offer you that peace of mind you need when buying online. One final way to feel comfortable buying your fragrance online is to visit the perfume manufacturer's website. Buying straight from the source just about certifies that you will not be ripped off. Prices for your fragrance may be a little higher with this option, but you can consciously know your purchase is guaranteed. It takes a little effort, but your wallet will thank you when you purchase through the internet.

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