When I got involved in the pagan community many years ago, there was an “esoteric” store in the neighborhood where I could shop and get those “hard to find” items essential to our practice. You know; special blends of incense and oils, altar items, silver jewelry and such.
But living outside of a major city, it can be hard to find a local store. More often than not, you need to travel to one of the larger cities to get to a store that can fill your needs. Some of us need to do our shopping “on-line”.
But just how good are the pagan stores that are found “on-line”? Who are they? What about the quality of their material? Will they be there to back up their product if I have a problem with it? Is my shopping secure? Can I give them my charge card number and be assured they are not going to charge up to my limit?
We have many questions about shopping on the Internet. How safe is it? Can we get refunds or make returns if the items we shop for are not what we want? Will we end up with a lemon?
There are some signs that we can learn to read that will assure us our shopping experience is secure and pleasant. We can also figure out who we want to do business with, where we want to spend our money, and how to get the most “bang” for our buck on the Internet.
I would like to share some experiences, some information and some advice about shopping the “Pagan Web” with you, in the hopes that you will help to support the pagan community on-line. We are really a small community in comparison to the general population and there are many ways we can help to support our community.
The first issue is security. It is first and foremost on everyone’s list. If we place an order on the Internet and opt to pay with check or money order by mail, we are assured our personal information is pretty secure from “cyber invaders”. But what about charge cards? This information is stored on the computer server for the merchant and is either dumped into another computer or is retrieved and deleted off the net when the payment is made. Either way, it does remain on the computer for a while and can be stolen somewhere along the line. Or is it?
As in everything, there always remains the risk of our information being hijacked. Even when we mail a check, the risk is there that it can be cashed by someone other than the intended party. We have instruments in place with many banking institutions to assure that this can be rectified if this kind of action occurs. However, what about the Internet?
We can take precautions to assure that the chances are limited if we look at the site we are purchasing from, and make sure the website has security measures in place.
“Secured Web Sites” use special codes and procedures to assure their customers that they are shopping as risk free as possible. In your browser, depending on which one you are using, the URL, or address, should start with “https” and show in yellow, indicating a secure website. The “https” means the website has switched over to a “secure” location and software. Or, in the lower right hand corner of your browser you should see a little picture or icon of a “lock”. The page is not secure if the lock is “unlocked” or if the page is secure, you will see the lock “locked”. There are “pop-ups” set up in some browsers that will tell you that you are entering or leaving a secure site. You may have turned those off at some point, checking the “Do not show this message again” box. But the security protocols are in place and you should be aware of these when you shop on line.
Before you enter your credit card, always be sure you are using a “secured site”. At least this way you are assured no one is copying your credit information while you are purchasing your item. This does not mean someone can’t hack the website and steal your information at some point. But then again, someone can steal the records from the company without going through the Internet, and the result would be the same.
Credit card companies are very “on top” of this kind of thing, and most credit card companies will clean up your account if your account number is stolen. Having had the experience in the past of this happening to myself outside the Internet environment, be assured that with proper proof, most credit card companies will work with you to assure bogus charges are removed from your credit history and your credit cleared up. Check the policies of your company to know what to do if this happens to you.
So, having gone over the Internet security risks, what about purchasing from a company on the Internet?
We go to many “pagan events” over the course of the summer season. We meet vendors we find we would like to do business with even after the season is over. Some vendors have paper mailing catalogues, where you choose the item and send a check or money order and the vendor ships the items to you. You may even call them, give your credit card number and transact all the business over the phone.
We look at the Internet as a large, always visible and easy to update catalogue available 24/7. Many vendors use the Internet in this way, to advertise the products they have on hand and allow you to shop at your convenience. You can order the items by email. Or the vendor has gone through the time and expense of having a secure website, a shopping cart, or has linked to a secure website and you can enter your information on that secured website, your credit card number, and the transaction takes place instantly.
Just like walking into a brick and mortar store, you never know what you are going to find in an Internet store. The advantage to a brick and mortar store is that you can examine the goods. The picture on the Internet may have given the appearance that the product is larger than the one you receive. You may not receive the exact same item you saw in the picture, because hand craftsmanship does vary from individual piece to individual piece. In a brick and mortar store, you can choose the piece you like, where as with an Internet store, the store keeper chooses for you. Much like the paper catalogue, there are limitations to purchasing by mail. This is a choice you have to deal with when considering to buy by mail or Internet.
In some cases, you know the vendor because you met up with them at a festival and liked their merchandise. Or you may have visited their brick and mortar store and now want to do business with them over the Internet. This is the best way to get to know your vendor and is recommended. “Word of mouth” referrals are also very important.
But sometimes you want or need something that you have been unable to find from your regular vendor and you “Google” the item and find several stores that have the item. How do you decide which one to purchase from?
First, look at the site. Is it Midsummer and the site still has Yule graphics up? Chances are this site has not been updated recently. This means the vendor is not keeping up with his Internet traffic, or has an issue with the website. Either way, it should be a “red flag” regarding dealing with this particular vendor.
Vendors serious about their website traffic will usually post some kind of a “last updated” date. There will even be “new” or “recent additions” notes or areas where the vendor will list his newest acquisitions. It does not matter if the site looks “professional” or not, as long as it is up to date, then you can be assured the material should be in stock and the vendor is checking his email for recent inquiries and orders. How quickly a vendor answers email inquiries should also be a sign as to how future business via the Internet will be handled.
Many pagan Internet vendors can not afford the cost of having a personal “secure” website for orders, or can not or will not deal with the coding required to run a secure website. There are many options vendors have these days.
Most common is a PayPal link. There was much controversy regarding this service when it first appeared years ago. How secure was it, will they guarantee your funding, and their policies and fees were called into account many times.
Over the years, PayPal has become one of the most secure sites for merchant financial transactions, and it has survived hacking, questioning and the test of time. Many merchants now do a regular business with PayPal, and their association with E-Bay as one of its biggest customers is a testimony to its ability to keep up with the needs of the small business man as well as its ability to keep ahead of the hackers and maintain a secure base for business needs. Nothing is fool-proof, but PayPal has managed to maintain a respectable image. Some will complain about it, but overall their performance and their service is good.
When you click on this link, your web browser link should start with “https” and show yellow, or the lock should show “locked”. The seller will provide you with all the information you need to complete your transaction on line.
There are other services that provide vendors with the same kind of vending ability and security. These are private companies that specialize in providing vendors with a secure “Shopping Cart” system of purchasing for their customers. Again, look for the yellow “Secure site” color in the URL or the little “locked” icon on your browser. There are many of these companies, and vendor experience will determine which of these will succeed and which ones fail to provide good customer experiences. Be sure to make your vendor aware of any problems you may have with the “Shopping Cart” software. This is usually the only way the vendor knows how well the software company is working for them.
You should always check the vendors policies regarding shipping, shipping fees and returns. All vendors do not have the same policies, and you should read this carefully before making any purchase. What are their shipping policies? What carrier do they ship by, what is the cost of shipping and handling?
Handling usually refers to the packing of your item when it is shipped to you. Depending on the item and how fragile it is will determine the additional cost of handling to you.
Return policies also vary, depending on what you are purchasing. Sometimes if the item is particularly fragile or expensive, the vendor will offer the ability for you to purchase additional “insurance” on the item being shipped.
The Post Office and UPS have various policies on what they will or will not cover. Please check this carefully, and be sure that if the item is over $50.00 you should ask for additional insurance. The cost is minimal, but the peace of mind and the avoidance of a potentially disappointing experience may well be covered by the fifty cents or dollar additional for the insurance. No one wants to receive a broken item, and going back to the vendor for replacement can be difficult, especially if the vendor’s policy is “if the additional insurance is offered and the buyer turns it down, shipping damages are at the buyer’s expense”. Please read shipping and handling policies before you buy.
Recently on E-Bay I’ve noticed items from overseas at some very cheap prices. While the opening bids or the “Buy Now” prices seem extremely cheap for the items being offered, what is outrageous is the $88, or more, “Shipping and Handling” fees being charged by the vendors. Now, it may cost a bit more to ship from the Pacific Rim, but the cost of $88 is outrageous, in my opinion, for a $25 or less item. Again, please check the shipping and handling charges very carefully before you purchase any item.
Return policies should ideally state that “if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can return your item for full refund”. However, there are variations on that, depending on the item. Again, please read the policies carefully.
Finally, there are vendors who are doing business through some very reputable firms.
E-Bay and Amazon.com offer a place where pagans can sell their wares backed up by the very reputable firm. You can find many pagan vendors on E-Bay, selling both antiques as well as hand crafted items. Many will make note of their items for sale on your local Yahoo lists. Again, this is a trust thing. If you know the vendor, you can find a bargain. But “word of mouth” would serve you well in many cases. Also check the “vendor ratings” very carefully.
There is a “pagan” version of this service, called “E-Witch”. This service has been around since 1998 and was sold once in 2001. The service has enjoyed a good reputation in the pagan community and is worth a visit. Again, “word of mouth” personal experiences with the individual vendors is advised.
And finally, Amazon MarketPlace. Looking for good deals on books, CDs and DVDs has always been the key feature of Amazon, but you will find pagan book vendors in the “MarketPlace”, offering new and used books below the pricing of Amazon. It is worth tracking down pagan vendors who sell through the MarketPlace, as they are backed by Amazon’s guarantee of fast service and pricing. “Word of mouth” will be your guideline as well as the vendor ratings.
If you have a local vendor, you are lucky. Shopping for books and supplies is not a major concern. But if you do not have this advantage, shopping on the Internet can be an enjoyable alternative, providing a safe and guaranteed pleasant experience if you follow some basic guidelines. Again, “word of mouth” is the best way to know what to expect from an on-line vendor, but following some simple observations can also make the first time experience painless and rewarding. Supporting our own is one way we can assure that the pagan community thrives and grows. Take the extra moment to seek out a pagan vendor and show your support for the community you live in. There are lots of good vendors; it takes only a little bit of your time to establish a good working relationship with the best of them.
Originally published in the Llewellyn 2006 Wicca Almanac
