Getting ripped off on the Internet...how much really?

[isaac]

If I were to buy a teapot for everyday use, i will focus on the material. In that sense, an online purchase makes sense provided you trust the seller.

Another reason to purchase online is when the seller has built a reputation for the website.

However the caveat emptor warning still applies - i learnt that one particular website was started by someone without a storefront, no teapots. When an online order come in, he will approach the potter to make the pot. The potter may well use his apprentice's teapot, put his seal on it and pass it to you as his. The possibility is there.

When you buy from a store, you are able to see, touch and feel the teapot. One salesgirl told me with a twinkle in her eyes, "The more you touch the more you love". The tactile sense of using the teapot is one of the buying signals.

One more reason against purchasing online is the photos may be photoshopped to show the teapot without blemish or in the best light. After it arrived, the teapot may not look as well in the normal light.

I never like websites that do not declare their prices publicly but want you to write in and ask for the price. The biggest question in my mind is if it is the highest price possible. Very likely it is because there is no reason why a vendor will give a stranger the best possible price especially when all his prices are secret.

Hence my suggestion is that nothing beats going to a store with a knowledgeable friend to choose a teapot that you will truly enjoy using for a very long time. The act of choosing is almost a sensual experience, observing the teapot through various angles, checking alignments, testing the weight, seeing the pour of the water and the fragrance of the tea (if the vendor allow). All these are possible only if you visit a traditional shop. What if the air ticket is expensive? Again it is better to buy from a trusted friend than a trusted shop (not an absolute rule). Thus join a tea club. One of the members may well go to China for a holiday.

My knowledge of teapots is growing. Hence I treasure my experiences with the various teapots, enjoying the leisurely chats with vendors who are only too happy to talk pot with me. The best vendors I met are not pushy, not even professional but just tea enthusiasts.

[isaac]

One more point: the purchases from a shop is governed by the laws of the land, eg the Fair Trading Act and the Sale of Goods Act.

The laws regarding internet purchases are nebulous. In this, the exchange policy and culture of service of the website is paramount.

But as you have as much knowledge of the website owner as you have of the shop owner, what gives you the leap of faith to buy from one over another? Thus for the online shop, an uncensored forum owned by that online shop helps as it allows lapses of quality to be made known and the viewers can see the speed of resolution, if any. For the traditional shop, the rules of the land plus the ability to view the actual goods make the buying process less of a risk.

However if your concern is about pricing and the equalisation of prices across geographical regions or across teapots by the same potter in different shops, then only due diligence can create a meaningful transaction. This is irrespective of the risks of online shopping vis-a-vis traditional shopping.

[debunix]

There're two other things that go missing when you purchase online:
......
Variety. What's offered online is only a marginal fraction of what is really available out there.

Actually, variety is an advantage of the internet, especially for people who live in areas with sparse tea offerings. Those of us who have nice teashops with abundant teawares may forget what it's like to live in places where there are no specialty tea shops and only a handful of very bland teapots available. The internet doesn't bring quite everything to you, but it does bring a lot to a lot of people with no easy access to a variety of interesting and functional teaware.

[entropyembrace]

There're two other things that go missing when you purchase online:
......
Variety. What's offered online is only a marginal fraction of what is really available out there.

Actually, variety is an advantage of the internet, especially for people who live in areas with sparse tea offerings. Those of us who have nice teashops with abundant teawares may forget what it's like to live in places where there are no specialty tea shops and only a handful of very bland teapots available. The internet doesn't bring quite everything to you, but it does bring a lot to a lot of people with no easy access to a variety of interesting and functional teaware.

There´s some tea shops here but they rarely have any teapots I´m interested in...lots of overpriced cast iron that´s only good for looking nice on a shelf and big western style pots with basket infusers.