Shopping online requires a lot of trust. While most people take for granted that giants like Amazon have robust dedicated customer support, many are anxious about buying from online shops. The reason for that anxiety is that a lot of issues might occur when shopping online, unfortunately. For example, the customer could receive faulty goods or find out that the order wasn’t shipped at all. In some cases, the online store might overcharge a customer or charge his/her credit card multiple times. When something goes wrong, a lot of online shoppers don’t know how to handle those disputes with online retailers and merchants, and dealing with issues through their bank or credit card issuer can be a lengthy, exhausting, and sometimes even painful journey. Usually, problems with merchants are just misunderstandings, but contacting them directly is a cause of anxiety for a lot of shoppers. A new service is now offering a solution to these unfortunate scenarios, so without further ado, lets dive-in to our Purchase Guard review.
Purchase-guard.com is a dispute resolution service that offers peace of mind to online shoppers by acting as an intermediary between the retailer and consumer. The platform’s representatives have an in-depth knowledge of consumer rights and high negotiation skills, which means that they’ll probably be able to achieve a much better settlement than the average complainant. Issues around shipping, incorrect charges, faulty goods, or false charges can be settled without the need for prolonged back-and-forth telephone and email wars, or risky bank chargebacks. In other words, PG’s goal is to solve any disputes between online merchants and shoppers faster and smoother.
Launching a dispute as a new user is quite straightforward. Here’s a recap of the process:
- Every user can sign up on Purchase Guard’s website for free. The short sign up process requires a name, email, a phone number, and an invite code sent by PG.
- After signing up for the service, the customer will get access to the personal dashboard. On the dashboard, the user can select which type of product they have purchased, the merchant in question, the conflict that has arisen, and what sort of settlement the customer is hoping for.
- Once the dispute has been filled to Purchase Guard, a member of their team will contact the merchant and start the resolution process (i.e., the negotiation). All the customer has to do now is wait!
- After a settlement is made, the Purchase Guard representative will present it to the complainant. The complainant can then either accept the agreement or ask the negotiator to make a different settlement. In this case, PG’s team will start renegotiating with the online merchant until a new solution is reached.
It is, of course, always possible for customers to deal with these issues by complaining to their bank or credit card provider. This is usually resolved by issuing a chargeback. Though an option, this can be a slow and arduous process as the merchant has the right to challenge the chargeback. A chargeback is a serious matter and not as simple as asking for a refund. The criteria for a chargeback are very specific, and if a chargeback is found to be unjustified hefty fines can be placed, and it can also impact the customer’s credit score or result in accounts being closed. What might seem like a trivial refund can spiral out of control and end up with severe consequences for the customer – even if he/she feels like they have a legitimate reason! Using an intermediary like Purchase Guard helps protect customers from harsh penalties of payment providers and even banks.
Purchase Guard’s model is, of course, not just beneficial only to consumers. By dealing with appeals through Purchase Guard, retailers and merchants can settle online disputes with trained reps who can be reasonable and see their side as well. Online store owners know the frustration of arguing with a customer who can’t let a settled issue rest. By dealing with an intermediary, the merchant can spend more time developing the business instead of fighting, sometimes unjustified, customer complaints. It moreover increases the customer’s trust in the store, as it shows the merchant is open to dialogue and compromise.
