How to Buy Lingerie Online in Australia?

The online world has changed since the internet first raised its head in the 1960's when it was just simply a text based service. Now in the age of 3-D graphics, web 2.0, web streaming and more it still amazes me that many of the first items people purchase on the web is still lingerie and in Australia this is no other country where this is true.

Even I remember the first time I bought lingerie online in Australia it was for my fiancé, now my wife. 

So how do you buy lingerie online in Australia safely?

Well the first key issue is to find out if who you are buying from is legitimate.  One of the first ways to do this is to check out whether they have an ABN or Australian Business Number.  Every business is required to have an ABN and if their website doesn't then you know you have a problem.

The next thing to check out is whether or not the ABN correlates to the business. There is an Australian Government website called business.gov.au that you can use to see whether a business is in fact has an ABN.

Once you know that the business is real, then its time to check out both their privacy policy and returns policy.

In Australia we have very strong privacy regulations and laws and every company should have a clearly defined privacy policy.  All quality Australian companies will have that policy highlighted on their website.

The second thing you need to check for is the returns policy and this is the area that catches most people out. In Australia, once an item has been worn close to any anatomical part such as the breast or skin then it normally cannot be resold simply because legislation does not allow this to occur.

In fact, if you donate items like bras or underwear to any of the charities they are required to dispose of them like medical waste. However, some online lingerie stores do offer a refund policy even on underwear. Companies like this do not resell the item but they do this to give customers confidence that if something isn't right then they will help them.

There are only a half a dozen companies that do this in Australia (as at the time of writing this article) but it is away of looking after their customers.

The next issue you need to look at is whether or not the online store provides a sizing guide.  There is very little lingerie made in Australia, actually I only know of half a dozen sites that do make their own, the rest is normally imported from Asia, the US, Canada or Europe and this creates a problem.  How do you know what size will suit you. 

Most online lingerie stores will provide you with a sizing chart however the biggest challenge is understanding how to read the chart.  Further to this they should also show you how to measure yourself as well.

The next issue to consider is how the company will deliver your item.  Whether you like it or not, when you buy online your item is going to have to be sent to you via a courier or through Australia Post.  You need to find out how they are going to send the items to you and how much the freight is going to cost you.

Many arguments have occurred between customers and online stores over the freight costs.  Quality stores will have a very clear policy on freight with some offering freight for free with purchases over a certain amount or a fixed freight fee.  If you are buying from a store and they don't specify the freight cost during the checkout process, then you must expect to be charged an additional fee at a later stage before shipment.

The other issue to consider is whether additional freight fees maybe charged if you split your order or if items are on back order.  I have seen some companies charge extra amounts on this circumstance and you need to clarify with the online lingerie store what their policy is.

If you follow these basic principles then your experience in buying lingerie in Australia should be a positive one.