With a whopping 89% of UK shoppers surveyed reporting that they’ve been buying items online at some point in the past year, the ever-growing popularity of online shopping doesn’t look set to change anytime soon.
As such, the way we find collectables has also changed, with Jellycat stockists popping up across the country and the web.
But can you trust online Jellycat stockists or is buying your perfect plushie online a surefire road to sorrow?
Is online shopping safe?
As online shopping increases in popularity, unfortunately, so do the myriad of ways unscrupulous criminals try to steal your money.
From identity theft to unencrypted data breaches, fake stores, sellers, reviews, and even fake items or dupes – all are carefully manipulated to scam others.
You just need to know how to do it safely to ensure you are protected – and ensure your Jellycat companion is as cute as you hoped.
How to find a trustworthy Jellycat stockist
If you are nervous about receiving a dupe Jellycat or have a history with scams, follow our top tips for finding genuine and reliable Jellycat stockists.
Only buy from genuine Jellycat stockists
The easiest thing to do if you are concerned is to choose an official supplier or retailer of Jellycats.
To earn this title, retailers have to follow strict brand guidelines from Jellycat themselves, which cover everything from using the official name and logo to how toys are described and displayed and how customer experience is managed.
All of which means that you can:
- Trust the product you are purchasing
- Enjoy seamless and positive customer service on your buying journey
To see if your preferred seller is a registered Jellycat stockist, check their website thoroughly – most will display their official supplier/retailer status proudly so it shouldn’t be hard to find. Alternatively, check FAQs or contact the company to ask.
While you are looking, be sure to also check for:
- Padlock symbols and ‘https’ – these things can be found in/near the website address bar and demonstrate that a site can be trusted.
- Deals that are too good to be true – if you find them, it probably isn’t genuine.
- Inaccuracies and spelling/grammar mistakes – retailers will do all they can to put their best foot forward, so if they aren’t, treat it with suspicion.
- Contact details and reviews sections – scammers don’t want people to be able to find them and definitely don’t want past customers leaving terrible reviews, so these things will be notably absent.
Remember, you can also check sites like Trustpilot for fully impartial reviews!
Pay with a credit card
If you can, paying with a credit card offers you much more security so should be considered at check-out.
This is because if things go wrong – you are subject to a scam or your product is not as described – you’ll have extra protection from your bank and will be more likely to get your money back.
Many credit card providers offer fee-free cards if you don’t have one, but be sure to thoroughly read all information before you take out an account as charges can apply if you don’t keep up with payments or pay off your balance in full.
Don’t save financial information anywhere
Most websites now like you to make an account with them and save a mix of personal and financial information with them.
This makes shopping more convenient for you and gets you through to the checkout faster, which benefits the retailer, too.
However, if you choose, you should be able to check out as a guest, so you don’t need to save any information to their records.
This can take a little longer and means you need to input more details every time you shop but can give you the added security you crave.
Double-check before ordering from a Jellycat stockist
While we would always encourage you to be cautious, online shopping can be stress-free, save you money, and help you find goods that you simply wouldn’t find in a store.
As long as you are consciously checking for the key security features we have discussed above.
So, happy shopping!!
Alex