Sophisticated internet technology that is available on any device, anywhere you are has made the purchase easier, quicker, and without investing any effort but a couple of clicks. The choice of products one is interested in buying has never been this large.
Sunglasses brands of all kinds are available for purchase on thousands of websites. There is no limitation in the accessibility of any brand you wish to buy. With so many possibilities, how can a buyer know the product will be suitable and of paid quality? This is a question you should ask yourself, before making any purchase, not to mention sunglasses. You wear them to protect your eyes, after all.
Here are 5 advice on what to look for when you decide to buy branded sunglasses online.
1. Authenticity
In the vast ocean of so many shops, the biggest risk is making sure the brand of your choice is the real thing. We’ll give you a couple of hints that may tell you if what you’re buying is original.
- Logo. It’s the first thing that will tell you if they’re fake or not. The authentic logo and authentic markings are usually placed on the lens, inside the glasses, or on the inside of the wing. They have a uniform size, font, and color. Although you’re buying online, things like this can be visible in the product photo. Any mistake or variation on the logo indicates that these are fake glasses. Also, fakes are often misspelled, for instance, ‘Dolce & Bagana’ instead of ‘Dolce & Gabbana‘. These known brand names are read automatically, so when not looking, you’ll most likely miss this kind of mistake and end up buying fake. If you’re not familiar with the appearance of the logo, compare it with the one at the manufacturer’s website and see what the glasses really look like and what the logo on them looks like.
- Model number. The model numbers are the same everywhere in the world, regardless of whether you buy glasses online directly from the manufacturer, on some other online store, or in a physical store. Find a model you like on the manufacturer’s page, take the model number (usually located on the frames of the glasses), and compare. Fake sunglasses can have numbers that are not on the manufacturer’s website.
- Authorized sellers. Authentic, original glasses are sold on authorized sites such as occhiali.blog, in original and authorized stores, and opticians. Vendors at stalls most likely sell fake sunglasses.
2. Choose a quality brand that suits your lifestyle
With sunglasses, what you pay is what you get. But as we already explained, sometimes when buying online, this does not apply. Moreover, just because they are branded doesn’t mean their quality will answer your expectations. Wearing sunglasses on the beach is not the same as wearing them while running a marathon. The second mentioned needs to have more quality to endure this kind of activity.
What good will it be to buy new glasses if they will break immediately or the lenses will be easily scratched? Look for online stores that offer quality sunglasses of brands for your lifestyle.
Make sure the store offers high-quality polycarbonate lenses, protection from scratches and light glare, as well as UV protection, regardless of the purpose you’re using them for. Double-check this, because the results of research conducted in the industry have revealed an alarming number of problems with complaints about the appropriate quality of products. Almost half of the sunglasses had some kind of safety defect.
This does not mean that you should avoid buying glasses online. More and more people are opting for this type of purchase because it suits their lifestyle and there are many satisfied customers. What you need to do is make a smart choice about where to shop.
3. Material
Since you won’t be in a position to feel the product and try it on until it arrives, familiarizing yourself with the material is important. Today on the market there is a rich offer of frames made of different materials, primarily metal and plastics.
Sunglasses with metal frames, those made of classic alloys should be avoided – although they are more affordable, they can cause allergic reactions on the skin because they contain nickel. Higher quality metal frames contain titanium, stainless steel, which makes them extremely elastic, strong, and corrosion-resistant. Some designer houses offer high-line frames made of natural materials (wood, animal horn, turtle, ivory) and white or yellow gold encrusted with diamonds or zircons.
Aluminum frames are light and durable, which makes sunglasses more durable.
Higher quality plastic frames are those made of harder acetate plastic that has cotton fibers in their composition. They are suitable for processing and shaping and are characterized by an elegant shine and an endless combination of colors and patterns.
Info on materials used can be found below each product, so you can read it before making a purchase.
4. Choice
Not every online store offers the same selection of different brands. You will probably want a larger selection of shapes, including well-known brands, that you trust. Depending on your style and activities, you may need more than one pair of sunglasses. If you expect a discount on extra sunglasses, you should look for an online store that offers a large selection as well as discounts on various sunglasses.
5. Return policy
As we mentioned earlier, online shopping for products of any kind has so many offers, that a buyer needs to have his eyes wide open, if quality and authenticity are expected. And of course, it can happen that things don’t turn out the way you wanted them to.
What happens if your order doesn’t turn out the way you expected? This you should think of, before clicking pay. Read about the return and the refund policy to know how the retailer will react to the return of the goods.
Buying online is easy and effortless, as we said, but comes with a lot of risks. Follow these five guidelines and you’ll be guaranteed to be satisfied with your choice of sunglasses.