DIAMOND CRITIC

If you have concerns about buying a diamond online – the fear of fraud is probably the main issue on your mind. Is this really dangerous?

Nothing in life is 100% safe, but you’ll be happy to know it’s quite easy to be well protected. So easy, in fact, that you’ll have a greater chance of fraud when buying from your local jeweler! Since online purchase is often perceived as “dangerous”, the security measures that exist to protect online shoppers are extremely effective – lowering the chance of fraud to a truly negligible minimum.

So how do you keep yourself protected? Just follow this simple checklist:

1. Pay with PayPalPayPal is a method of payment widely accepted online. Instead of giving your credit card / bank account details to the merchant, you give them to PayPal only and they transfer money to the merchant on your behalf.

   PayPal also provide a rather extensive buyer-protection plan. If you do not receive the item you’ve ordered (or the item was falsely described), you can easily open a PayPal dispute. These are almost 100% decided in the favor of the buyer (especially when you are telling the truth), meaning PayPal will simply take the funds from the merchant and return them to you – even without the merchant consent.

2. Speak with the seller on the phoneIf you have doubts regarding the seller, ask to speak with a representative on the phone. It is much easier to establish trust when you’re speaking with a real live person. Ask the seller questions about the purchase process and make sure they are professional, experienced and serious. These are hard to fake in a 1-on-1 conversation.
3. Look for selling history / feedbackIt is nearly impossible to maintain successful fraudulent activity over time. There are many formal entities involved (PayPal, credit card companies, banks) who regularly investigate suspicious patterns. If a seller exists long enough (a year is usually enough) and has enough high value sales under his belt (a hundred is enough), it is usually ok to trust them.
4. Get a second opinionAfter you receive the purchased diamond, it is a good idea to have it locally appraised and authenticated. Most jewelers can easily confirm this is a real diamond. If the diamond does not live up to your expectations – return it. All online sellers should offer a no-questions-asked return policy – if they don’t, find one that does!
5. Start with a smaller itemI imagine feeling anxious before a several thousand dollar transaction. It is ok to start with a low value item from the same seller (around $100), just to get a feeling of how the process works and see that everything is as expected. If this goes well, purchase the high value item right after.