Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Tips for Buying Shoes for Your Children On The Internet

By Katie Wilber

Buying shoes can be so much fun. Those little adorable shoes for children are enough to make you want to buy them just to look at, never mind the practicality.

Online shoe shopping is even more fun because there are no heavy bags to lug around. That being said, shopping for shoes online also presents a level of uncertainty. Fit, quality, and secure transactions rank at the top of the list for online shopping concerns.

Here are a few online shoe buying tips to make sure your online shoe shopping experience is a positive one.

Take Advice From the Experts - The Better Business Bureau

Is the site you're shopping at secure? Unsure? Take a look at the URL if it begins with the following letters, HTTPS, then you can know you're shopping at a secure site. The S stands for secure.

If a site asks you to register, protect your password and make it unique from all your other online passwords to ensure sure your personal information isn't stolen.

Check the store's privacy statement. Make sure your information isn't sold or rented to outside parties.

Are the shipping and return policies apparent and fair? Store policies should be easily accessible and readily available to anyone interested. If you cannot find the stores shipping and return policies get them in writing before you place an order.

Print and store all receipts. In most cases you'll need them to make a return and you'll also want them handy in the event that an issue comes up.

Research the Retailer

Look for online reviews about the store. There are many review sites online which make it easy to find information. The Better Business Bureau is also a great place to find feedback.

Become aware of the brands the store carries. Are they good brands or designers with a good reputation? Does it hold true to sizing charts or do items tend to run large or small?

Accurate and Descriptive Information

The best online retailers provide very detailed descriptions about their products. They'll provide information about the materials as well as information about the size.

A picture is worth a thousand words. That's not entirely true because a picture won't tell you whether an item is leather or pleather however it will help you see color and style.

Know Your Child's Shoe Size

The good news is that children's shoes tend to run fairly consistent when it comes to sizing. So once you know your child's shoe size you can be fairly certain they will translate to most brands.

Shoes can be measured in inches, millimeters and centimeters and it's important to know what your child's measurements are and how that data converts. Why? Because different countries size their shoes differently. This includes U.S., U.K., European, Mexico, Japan and even U.K. Australia shoe sizes. However if you know their measurements you can be certain to get the right size in any brand.

There are websites devoted to shoe size conversion so if you know your child's US size then they'll tell you what size your child would wear in Japan and UK sizes too.

If you're uncertain about how your child's shoe size translates to the brand and make of the shoes you're looking at, order a half to a whole size larger. That way they at least have room to grow.

Shopping online for children's shoes is more than fun, it's a great way to save time and money. Take the time to protect yourself and do your research before sharing your personal information with a new retailer. You'll be glad you did and your online shoe shopping experience will be a positive one. - 15343

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