Purchasing items online is a gamble, but a very tempting one at that. Online clothes shoppers run the risk of items of clothing not fitting their product description, being made from cheap fabric, having poor stitching and worst of all, not fitting. Every store has its own standards and if you are already familiar with them then it’s easy. But that is rarely the case.
I can buy Asics trainers online because I’ve run through about five pairs in the same size in different styles. These guys don’t mess about. But I won’t buy Topshop clothes online because I know that they can be extremely hit and miss. Then there’s ASOS.com. Do risk it and order that perfect-looking LBD for Saturday’s house party? Because, you know, I’ve had my heart broken by their deliveries before.
Ordering kitchenware online is safe, as are book purchases, small items of furniture and electronic equipment. They all do exactly what they claim to do. Except when it comes to assembly furniture. I strongly recommend staying well clear of ordering that stuff online. Plus the stores that will rip you off in this respect are fairly predictable. Shoddy website designs, unrealistically cheap items and very bad internet reviews are all warning signs.
My trendy East London abode has kitchen cupboards that are the wrong size. Because they’re the wrong size, parts of the shelves poke out of them. The previous owner installed them and said that he couldn’t get a refund on them. The site he’d ordered them from refused to accept they’d sent him the wrong ones.
But there is absolutely no way that they could be assembled into normal looking cupboards. And the hinges keep falling off and the shelves aren’t at all steady. Frankly I’d be better off with some cardboard boxes. They wouldn’t threaten to spill my china collection onto the floor. But I’m sure that these cupboards were cheap, at least.
